


Violent Delights and Violent Ends

by EvenMadderHatter



Series: Jeongin Centric- Superhero AU [3]
Category: K-pop, Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: <3, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, BAMF Yang Jeongin, Blood and Injury, Cute Yang Jeongin | I.N, Everyone Is Gay, Everyone Loves Yang Jeongin | I.N, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Yang Jeongin, I love my super-boyfriends, I promise, Kidnapping, M/M, Other, Some Humor, Superheroes, Tags Are Hard, Whump, Yang Jeongin | I.N is a Sweetheart, Yang Jeongin | I.N-centric, but it'll be ok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-19 11:49:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22710382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvenMadderHatter/pseuds/EvenMadderHatter
Summary: *On indefinite hiatus**If you want to do anything with this work/universe such as continue it or make art then feel free to, just please credit me for the original idea :) *Two pairs of eyes snapped up to meet his. Jeongin found himself recoiling from a wave of mania emanating from the glittering golden orbs examining him coldly. The boy's vivid red lips curled up in a grin and he stood up from his seat, extending his hand out to Jeongin as he came closer.“Hello, dear. Glad to see that Sleeping Beauty has finally awoken.”Memories rushed behind his eyes, playing out in some sort of sick montage, detailing fiery blue flames, red roses, and twisted fairytales. Romeo stalked towards him with unknown intent, meeting Jeongin’s frightened gaze with a curling smirk.“Get away from me,” Jeongin hissed, trying to step back. Romeo reached out and pressed a hand against the wood behind him, caging Jeongin in.“Welcome back, Juliet,” Romeo whispered, his bloody lips turning up in a smile. “I’ve missed you.”
Relationships: Bang Chan/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Han Jisung | Han/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Hwang Hyunjin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Kim Seungmin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Kim Woojin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Lee Felix/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Lee Minho | Lee Know/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Seo Changbin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Stray Kids Ensemble/Everyone, Yang Jeongin | I.N & Everyone, Yang Jeongin | I.N/Everyone
Series: Jeongin Centric- Superhero AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1319279
Comments: 105
Kudos: 236





	1. Solo

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sparkly_Chaotic_Neutral_Aesthetic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparkly_Chaotic_Neutral_Aesthetic/gifts).



> “And where two raging fires meet together, they do consume the thing that feeds their fury”
> 
> ... 
> 
> suRpRisE i'M ALiVE- 
> 
> I'm back~ 
> 
> It only took half a year(ish) lmao- 
> 
> But really, thank you to everyone who was so patient with me. I've been so incredibly busy (tho I still kinda am now) and I had a lot of trouble with motivation while writing. I've gotten through some things on this break and I feel a lot better.  
> (Pls flood Sparkly_Chaotic_Neutral_Aesthetic with so much love, they are such an angel and are the reason why I'm posting this chapter now - they are also an amazing beta and friend <3 <3 <3) 
> 
> To be completely honest, I don't know how much/how consistently I can update but I will try my best to keep on going - I love writing this so much and hearing from all of you guys is so much fun. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading and waiting for me <3  
> I hope you all enjoy :)

“And where two raging fires meet together, they do consume the thing that feeds their fury.”

... 

The boy woke up from a dreamless slumber, bleary-eyed and confused. The sun’s rays shone weakly into the room through the curtained windows and he could hear the faint twitters of songbirds as they passed by outside. 

Sitting up in the comfortable bed he laid upon, he looked around curiously, taking in the surrounding room. Intricate paintings in muted bronze frames hung around the room, depicting strange images of people captured in the midst of movement. Colorful dancers in blooming dresses and frilled collars, knights sat upon shining steeds, a king sitting idly on his throne, grasping a golden heart. Their little, painted eyes seemed to stare at him, observing him with reserved judgment. 

Across the room, mounted on a wall was a beautifully ornate mirror created out of twisting metal bands. The boy’s eyes snapped to meet his own reflection, glimmering in the glass. 

He was wearing a simple, white cotton shirt and black pants that were perfectly fitted on his lithe frame. His hair was coal-black, which strangely enough, felt wrong. A myriad of colors flashed behind his eyes when he closed them, forming images that blurred when he chased after them. Why couldn’t he remember anything? 

Swinging his legs off of the bed, he stood up, finding a bit of relief in the mere fact that he hadn’t forgotten how to walk. Still confused, he paced around his room, checking all corners and crevasses for any hints to his identity. The only thing other than dark furniture and the paintings hanging on the walls was a single, crimson rose, placed in a vase on a table. It bent slightly downwards, its bloody petals greeting the ground solemnly. His stomach churned unexplainably at the sight. 

His eyes flicked towards a large panel of wood, right next to the vase. A door. Stepping up to it, his fingers grasped the cold metal of the doorknob and he twisted it open. A rush of images flew in his mind, consuming his thoughts. 

A group of people- all boys. There were around eight of them and they all smiled widely at him, inviting him into their abode, past the wooden door. One of the boys extended a hand towards him with a cheerful, “Come in, Jeongin!” Then, as quick as the vision came, it was gone. 

He frowned and pressed his hands to his temples. He knew them. They were his hyungs. All of a sudden, their names came flooding back to him. Chan, Woojin, Minho, Changbin, Hyunjin, Jisung, Felix, Seungmin. And he was Jeongin. 

He was also alone. And confused. 

Sick of his whirling thoughts, Jeongin pushed open the door and ran out into the hall. Spotting a stairwell, he rushed down it, searching the unfamiliar halls for his hyungs. As he ventured past numerous paintings- equally as chilling as the ones in the room he had woken up in- he began to recall more and more. This manor was definitely not Jeongin and his hyungs’ apartment or JYP Headquarters. Jeongin briefly wondered if it was a JYP safe house, but that too made no sense. Why would he need to be placed in a safe house? And where were his hyungs?

Pushing open a set of large, double doors, Jeongin stilled in his frantic searching. His eyes fell on a shocking scene laid out before him. 

A long table stretched from one side of the room to the other with empty chairs placed perfectly alongside it. The tabletop was brimming with food, placed on various dishes and plates. Anything that could fly, swim, or breathe, Jeongin reckoned it was on a porcelain plate. The air was filled with an interesting mix of smells, some good, others not so much. Almost hidden by the massive mounds of food were two figures, sat at the end of the table. They appeared to be arguing with each other. One figure was gesticulating wildly as he yelled at the other, who seemed disgruntled and held a petulant frown.

Jeongin took a step back, feeling weird and uninvited. In his awkward attempt to walk out of the room, his back hit the door, resulting in a large thud that echoed loudly in the large hall. 

Two pairs of eyes snapped up to meet his. Jeongin found himself recoiling from a wave of mania emanating from the glittering golden orbs examining him coldly. His vivid red lips curled up in a grin and he stood up from his seat, extending his hand out to Jeongin as he came closer. 

“Hello, dear. Glad to see that Sleeping Beauty has finally awoken.” 

And with those words, Jeongin knew who the boy was. Memories rushed behind his eyes, playing out in some sort of sick montage, detailing fiery blue flames, red roses, and twisted fairytales. Romeo stalked towards him with unknown intent, meeting Jeongin’s frightened gaze with a curling smirk. 

“Get away from me, psycho.” Jeongin hissed, trying to step back. Once again the door stopped him in his path. Romeo reached out and pressed a hand against the wood behind him, caging Jeongin in. 

“Welcome back, Juliet,” Romeo whispered, his bloody lips turning up in a smile. “I’ve missed you.” 

**…**

“Fe, I don’t think this is such a good idea.”

Felix rolled his eyes as he strode through the shadowy bar, staring down a couple of late-night loiterers. Casually reaching up to his ear, he flicked on the comm-set and muttered, “Binnie, We’ve been over this.” Felix slipped his hand in the pocket of his black leather jacket- a borrowed item from Chan- finding the small slip of paper inside. “This is the only lead we’ve found in  _ weeks _ . It could be nothing, but it could be everything. I need to know, Changbin.” Felix closed his eyes briefly, taking a breath. “I need to know if he’s okay.”

Three weeks. Jeongin had been declared missing three weeks ago. On the happiest day of Felix’s life- the day on which Jeongin had accepted their invitation to join their rag-tag team of superhero boyfriends- he had been kidnapped. By a maniac in a cape. And Felix had done nothing to stop him.

“Lix…” Changbin uttered in a hushed voice, pain and sorrow darkening his tone. “Just be careful. Please. I can’t… I can’t lose you too-”    
  


“And you won’t,” Felix stated confidently, eyeing the figure behind the bar counter. Although his boyfriend’s worry was mostly unnecessary, Felix had to admit that Changbin’s warning held some weight. The bar he was in was notorious for being a common villain hangout, and it was definitely living up to its expectation. Felix had seen the familiar faces of numerous criminals and villains that he had encountered while running around Seoul doing his hero-thing. So, Felix channeled his inner-villain and strode through the room, scaring away curious eyes. 

“Alright, I’m going in, babe. Relay that to the others, would you?” He tried to hide his smirk as Changbin sputtered at the nickname. 

“Ugh, gross. Keep the lovey-dovey talk off the comms, please.” Jisung’s exasperated voice filled Felix’s ears and the blonde boy had to stop himself from smiling. 

He walked up to the bar counter and leaned forward, observing the bartender. He was a middle-aged man with dark hair and a halo of smoke surrounding him. Whether it was a residue of cigarette use or something more mystical, Felix didn’t know. The man looked up with an unimpressed look and raised an eyebrow at Felix. “You need something, boy?” 

“Information on one of your regulars.” 

The bartender polished away at an empty glass, peering into the glass cup. “I was talking more about alcohol, kid. You even old enough to drink?” 

“You know I am. I need to know about a person you’re very familiar with. Clarissa Rembar. She’s one of your-” 

“What do you want to drink? Kid, I’ve said it once and I won’t say it again.” 

Felix clenched his fists, about to tear the man a new one when he someone beat him to it. 

“He said he needed information. So give it to him.” 

Felix looked up to see Seungmin, wearing all black, looking incredibly intimidating. Thin silver chains glinted cooly around Seungmin’s neck and wrists, catching the dim lights of the bar. Felix almost choked on his breath as he took in Seungmin’s dark eyes, stormy and dangerous. He had never seen his smiley boyfriend like this. It was incredibly distracting. 

The bartender drew his thoughts away with a disdainful mutter of, “Hey, look I’m not sure who you think you are but-” 

Suddenly, Seungmin slammed his hands down on the table, startling almost everyone left in the bar. As his control over his sonic powers slipped, the boy let loose a wave of vibrations that shattered the glasses nearest to him, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. The glass that the bartender had been polishing off exploded in his hands, showering the counter with its remains. Felix felt his breath catch in his throat as he watched his boyfriend, eyes blazing with barely contained rage. 

“Wow, he’s hot.” Felix heard Jisung whisper in their comms. 

The bartender stared at the boy with wide eyes and after a second of trepidation, raised a shaking hand to point at the back of the bar. 

Felix, trying to push down his shock at Seungmin’s actions, followed his finger and squinted into the shadowy depths of the room, tensing when he noticed the dark figure - a woman, based on the slinky dress she wore- curled up on a lounge sofa. A table sat in front of her, a solitary glass placed upon it. Felix couldn’t make out her features from the distance, but he could see the glowing end of the cigarette she held languidly between her elegant fingers. Felix assumed this woman was Clarissa Rembar, their informant. 

Gently knocking shoulders with Seungmin, he started walking towards the woman, leaving the fearful bartender to sweep up the shattered remains of his glasses. 

“Stop right there,” A voice called out to him amidst the smoky air of the corner. 

Felix raised his hands in peace, stepping closer to the woman. “I just have a couple of questions.” 

“I said  _ stop _ , pretty boy.”

Felix came to a standstill, his hands still raised up. Something in the dark tones of the woman’s voice made him hesitate in his steps. 

“Stand still.” 

The smoke trailing from the end of her cigarette curled towards him like a silvery snake, coming just short of his face. 

“Listen, I just need to ask you something.” 

“Hmm, your aura says you’re a good soul… damaged, yes, but good nonetheless,” Clarissa murmured under her breath, eyeing him behind the smokescreen with curious eyes. 

“Excuse me?” 

Jisung snickered in his ear, whispering to Changbin with an audible smile, “She called his soul ‘damaged’, what a burn.”    
  


“Your aura… ah, it matters not. Come here, take a seat.” The woman patted the worn sofa she sat upon, gesturing for him to sit. 

Warily, Felix ducked around the smoke whisps, sliding onto the open seat. 

“You said you had questions?” 

“Ah, yes,” Felix nodded, looking back at Seungmin, who stood apart from them. “Would you mind if my friend joined us? He’s got a… good soul and all that.” 

“Hmph,” She seemed to contemplate her answer as she stared at Seungmin. “His aura reads innocent enough. He may join.”

“His aura?” 

“Hmm, I assumed you were smarter than this, blondie. I can sense auras. Read ‘em, see ‘em, you know the works.” Upon seeing Felix’s raised eyebrows and the surprise in his eyes, she chuckled. “Or maybe you don’t.” 

Unsure of what to make of the new information, Felix turned to look at Seungmin. He beckoned Seungmin - who was very confused- over, and soon enough, the three of them were sitting around the table. Clarissa toyed with her cigarette, looking at the boys with hooded eyes. Her gaze was flirtatious, as was the hand she gently laid on Seungmin’s arm. 

“You’re Clarissa Rembar, right?” At the woman’s nod of confirmation, Felix continued. “We need your help. What do you know about a Villain called ‘Romeo’?” 

Her sultry smile immediately fell and she retracted her hand from Seungmin’s arm as if she had been burned. 

“Clarissa? Seungmin reached out to make sure she was alright, but the lady pushed herself back, hugging her arms close to her. 

“Leave at once.” 

“What?” Felix exclaimed at the same time as Seungmin let out an incredulous, “Excuse me?” 

“You have to go. I paid my debt. I helped that murderer get his pal out. I’m done, you hear me? I’m done!” She shrieked, trembling like a leaf. 

“Clarissa, calm down! We’re not with Romeo, we’re against him! Very much so.” Felix hissed, grabbing onto her arm. 

She stilled instantaneously, her eyes locked on his hand wrapped around her thin wrist. Felix let go with a quiet apology, almost unheard over the woman’s hiss, “So, you two are Heroes, huh? I knew your auras, even with those maladies, were too light to be Villains’.”

Ignoring her strange statement, Felix pleaded, “Please, you have to help us. Our friend-” 

“I don’t have to help anyone but myself, Hero.” She hissed, clinging to her arms tightly. “And I won’t succumb to no Hero scum-”    
  


Seungmin slid a large bundle of green notes across the table, placing it right under her nose. “Not even for money?” 

Clarissa’s eyes immediately lit up with a new glow and her hand reached out to snatch the wad. Felix blocked her immediately, leaning over the table. He tutted, shaking his head at the Villain. “Not until you answer our question, dear.” 

“How do I know you won’t drop me off to the police if I tell you?” 

“If it’s any consolation we really don’t have the time to be doing any of that.” 

Clarissa glared at Seungmin but slumped in her seat, defeated. Taking a shaky breath, she collected herself and began to speak. “Romeo was a charmer that came into the bar one night, starting rallying everyone he could find with stealth related powers. The plan was to break his friend out of a maximum-security prison. I thought it was insane, but the rewards were too high to ignore. So I went with him, acted like a lookout. With my aura reading abilities, I could see any guards that passed by. I only knew the parts of the plan that were crucial to me, though. I have no idea how he got his friend out and where he went afterward. Just that he left me in there, all alone. I barely got out, and not without my fair share of injuries. I never want to see that psycho again. Ever.” She spat, throwing her cigarette on the table, watching as it whispered it’s last trails of smoke. “His aura was all messed up. I’ve seen pyros before, but he was different. They’re all a little manic but he was…” She shuddered, clasping her arms. “I’ve never seen anything like his flames - demonic and controlling. I thought I heard them whisper to him, but I can’t be sure.”    
  


“Do you know anything about the ‘friend’ he was getting out of jail?”   
  


She examined her nails, her eyes flicking up to meet the wad of cash Seungmin held. Seungmin rolled his eyes and muttered a resigned “Fine,” as he pushed half of the stack to her. Swiftly pocketing the money, she cleared her throat. 

“The friend was extremely powerful, I can assure you of that. Kept in a highly fortified room behind glass that could survive even a bomb, I’m sure. Must have been some sort of creep for MIA to have locked him up.” 

“MIA?” 

She cocked her head to one side. “You’ve surely heard of the M.I.A. haven’t you? They’ve been making life hell for all of us - including you Heroes.” 

With those words, Felix remembered something that Changbin had told him about. Months ago, when he and Jeongin had gone to visit the police station, Jeongin’s presence had been requested by Malum- who was temporarily being held in the lower levels of the building. When they had visited, men in black suits were there waiting for them. Taehyung had described them as being anti-villain, but Changbin had done some research and found that their organization was widely anti-powers based. He had chalked it off as something to be mildly concerned about and they had gone about their regular schedule, trying to figure out what was happening with Malum. Their organization’s name was M.I.A. 

“Ah, so you have heard of them.” Clarissa voiced, staring at Felix. 

“Vaguely,” He replied. 

“I heard whispers that this Villain was the one who started that fight against the Heroes. Ya know, the one where they all assembled downtown and fought. I assume you two must have been there?”    
  


Felix exchanged a glance with Seungmin, who seemed to be thinking the exact same thing. Using his telepathy, Felix reached out to his boyfriend silently. 

_ “She’s talking about Malum, isn’t she?”  _

_ “Afraid so. He’s the only Villain to have arranged a stand-off between Heroes and Villains like that. That would qualify for those prison arrangements.”  _

Seungmin’s eyes flashed darkly and Felix felt his chest tighten. 

That had been the day in which Jeongin had found out about their identities. Oh god, how he missed Jeongin. 

“You two done there?” Clarissa took a puff of her cigarette before pressing it into the table, snuffing it out. 

“Right well we just need to know one more thing. What do you know about Malum?” 

“Malum?” She exclaimed in surprise, eyeing the two of them. “Why’d you want to know about him? How do you know about him?” 

Wordlessly, Felix slid the rest of the money over to her and she snatched it up, albeit somewhat hesitantly this time. 

“All I know is that he’s smarter than he looks. My boyfriend used to work at his company. It was-” 

“Malum had a company?” Felix exclaimed in disbelief, his mouth falling open. 

Clarissa raised a brow. “You didn’t know? It was called Genotech Industries and-” Her eyes widened and she jumped up from the table, slamming her hands down as she yelled, “GET DOWN!”    
  


The sound of shattering glass exploded around them, followed by the piercing screams of the customers. Felix and Seungmin leaped up from the table, scanning the bar for any signs of danger. The door slammed open and what must have been easily a dozen figures swarmed the bar, all dressed in black uniforms. Their eyes were covered by black visors and their hands gripped sleek guns. One of the people locked eyes with Felix and brought their gun up, firing in an instant. 

Felix dove to the side, dragging Seungmin down alongside him. A loud bang sounded out as something hard hit the table. Felix looked up to see a silver dart sticking out of the table. Clarissa was slumped in her seat, her eyes hazy and drooping, a needle sticking out of her neck. That was all the invitation Felix needed to get up and run.

Pulling Seungmin alongside him, Felix made a mad dash towards the exit, trying to avoid the flying tranquilizer darts. 

The faint sound of Changbin and Jisung’s voices yelling at him to run echoed from his comm set in his ear. 

Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed him, pulling him from Seungmin violently. Felix immediately faced his attacker - a woman in the black uniform- and kicked her gun out of her hands. Looking back at Seungmin, who was handling his own attacker, Felix began to move over to him, but was stopped by Seungmin himself, who shouted, “Run, go!”

Feeling his heart twist in his chest, Felix hesitated for a second as he looked at his boyfriend. Then, he ran. 

…

Seungmin slammed his shoulder into his assailant, deftly avoiding the man’s taser. He couldn’t risk using his sonic powers while he was in his civilian identity, so he stuck to the basics. Disarming the man, he threw the taser across the bar, watching as it slid under the barstools. 

While he was distracted, however, the man shot a needle into his neck with a crazed grunt. His eyes were wild and cloudy with pain, but he held a triumphant smile. Seungmin ripped the needle out almost instantly, cursing himself for being so careless. Whatever was in the dart was already running through his system. Even though it was a small dose, it would no doubt mess up his body and response time. 

He threw the dart he clasped at the man, who was too slow in his attempt to dodge it. Seungmin let out a breath of relief as the man went down like a shot elephant, the dart sticking out of his arm. 

Wasting not a second, Seungmin stumbled out into the dark, escaping the rest of the uniformed goons with his remaining energy. He had counted at least ten of them in the bar, which meant that two were unaccounted for. Seungmin worried that they might have gone after Felix. 

Whatever drug had been pumped into him through the tranquilizer was already starting to take effect. His head was swimming and his vision blurred in and out of clarity as he ran through the dark streets. Seungmin could feel his eyes begin to flutter closed as waves of lethargy rolled through him. Bracing himself on the wall beside him, he forced himself to carry on. Loud sounds echoed in the alleys behind him, growing closer and closer. Seungmin wouldn’t let himself be caught. He couldn’t. 

But he could feel the drug weigh his legs down, slowing his heartbeat. Just as he was about to collapse, lights flooded the street and a loud screech sounded out. A figure on a motorbike appeared before him, throwing a hand out. Seungmin nearly cried in relief as he saw Minho’s face. 

“Get on!” Minho yelled, tugging Seungmin towards him. 

The two of them flew down the street on the bike, racing away from the bar. 

Seungmin, gripping onto Minho’s jacket, rested his head against his boyfriend’s back. Maybe it would be okay to close his eyes for a bit. He was just so tired.

“Seungmin?” 

  
A couple of minutes of sleep wouldn’t hurt, would it?

“Seungmin?” 

Seungmin felt his eyes slip shut as he succumbed to the pull of slumber. 

“Seungmin!” 

**…**

Felix raced through the night, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. His breath shuddered in his throat. The sounds of people chasing him grew behind him, sending his heart into overdrive. His legs burned like fire as he searched for an exit, an escape, anything to get away from the uniformed figures. 

Spotting a fire escape, Felix clenched his fists and channeled his telekinesis as he jumped, boosting himself with his powers. He caught the ladder and clambered up to the stairs, leaping up the iron steps. 

“Felix, go left when you reach the top! There’s a path you can take if you jump from roof to roof.” Changbin yelled through his communication device. Felix could almost picture them - Jisung pulling up schematics of the entire city, formulating an escape route with Changbin for Felix. It felt nice knowing he had support. Knowing that they had his back.

He could hear the heavy footfalls of the two men pursuing him as they ran up the stairwell, close enough to drag him down. Felix reached the top and jumped immediately, pushing himself with his telekinesis to an apartment building’s roof. Just clearing the edge, he ran on, not daring to look back. 

Jisung and Changbin frantically spoke in his ears, but Felix was running on pure instinct. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, he tried to shake the men on his tail. To his increasing despair, nothing seemed to be working. The uniformed men had run out of their silver darts a while back, but that was little comfort to Felix. All he could do was continue to push through the exhaustion dragging him down. 

Felix threw himself onto a rooftop and rolled, absorbing most of the impact of the harsh landing with no issue. He reached the end of the roof and skidded to a stop as he saw the far drop that lay beneath him. There were no more buildings for him to run to. No pathways he could find. No escape. 

He was trapped. 

“Stop right there!” One of the men exclaimed, pulling out a black taser. Felix had seen the models before and he knew from firsthand experience that getting shocked by one of them hurt. A lot. 

“We've got you cornered, boy. Now surrender and come with us.” 

Felix looked behind him at the drop, squinting into the darkness. It was a far drop and chances were he’d end up as a little Felix-sized pancake on the side of the street if he jumped. 

“Surrender or die!” The first man yelled, brandishing his taser. Clearly, he was not pleased to have had to run a mile to catch up with Felix. 

Felix faced the guards and let his hands drop to his sides. He let out a loud sigh and locked eyes with the man. 

Then, he raised his hands and flipped him off, jumping backward off of the building into the dark void beneath him.

Felix closed his eyes as he fell, bracing himself for the painful impact that would come and greet him when he hit the ground.

Instead, a loud rush of wind hit him and Felix was pulled sideways at an astounding speed. A strangled scream escaped his throat as he wildly slammed his arms into something. When Felix opened his eyes, he was met with a raised brow and a shock of light blonde hair.

“Ouch,” Chan deadpanned as he held Felix, zipping through the air with him. Felix let out a large sigh of relief as he clutched onto Chan, burying his face into Chan’s shoulder. He gripped onto Chan tightly, taking comfort in his boyfriend’s strength. 

“Thanks for catching me, Channie.” 

“Anytime Felix,” Chan replied as he started to descend, lightly landing on the ground with practiced grace. “Actually, no, not anytime. Please stop launching yourself off of buildings.” Chan exclaimed as he carried Felix to a dark van parked on the side of the road. 

Felix let out a breathless laugh and leaned into Chan. “No promises, Chris.” 

Chan rolled his eyes, but Felix could see the affection behind it. He gently let Felix down to the ground, ensuring that the younger was okay. Then, Chan stepped up to the backdoor of the van and rapped his fist on the metal in a series of timed knocks. Instantaneously, the door was flung open and Felix was met with Woojin’s worried eyes. 

“Oh, thank god you’re alright.” Woojin gasped, clutching Felix like he’d disappear at any given moment. 

“Of course, Jinnie. I always am.” Felix breathed, ignoring the fact that he almost wasn't alright as Woojin squeezed him tightly. 

Chan stepped into the van and pulled Felix in, showing him to his seat. Hyunjin, the only other passenger in the van besides Chan and Woojin, reached out and pulled Felix into a hug, holding back tears as he yelled about how worried he had been. Felix carded his fingers through Hyunjin’s hair as the boy wept, biting his lip. Meanwhile, Chan informed them that Seungmin and Minho were alright and that they’d be meeting everyone back at the apartment. 

Felix, for the first time in hours, let himself relax in Hyunjin’s embrace. Looking at his boyfriends and their tired faces, Felix just hoped that Jeongin was okay, wherever he was. 

He really, really hoped he was okay. 

  
  
  


**…**

  
  
  


**END OF CHAPTER 1**


	2. Killing Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Romeo stopped in his tracks and Jeongin just barely avoided walking into the Villain. The boy looked back at Jeongin with a grin before he pushed open a door set in the wall in front of him, gesturing for Jeongin to walk in.
> 
> “Are you ready, Jeongin?” 
> 
> “For what-” Jeongin turned to look at Romeo and was met with a wall of blue flames rushing towards him.

Romeo stalked towards him with unknown intent, meeting Jeongin’s frightened gaze with a curling smirk. 

“Get away from me, psycho.” Jeongin hissed, trying to step back. Once again the door stopped him in his path. Romeo reached out and pressed a hand against the wood behind him, caging Jeongin in. 

“Welcome back, Juliet,” Romeo whispered, his bloody lips turning up in a smile. “I’ve missed you.” 

  
  
  
  


**…**

  
  


“Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye, than twenty of their swords."   
  


... 

This was the epitome of awkwardness. Jeongin was sat between Malum and Romeo at the head of the table, trying to ignore Malum’s glares and Romeo’s stares. 

“Hmm, haven’t I chosen such a fair bride, father?” Romeo murmured out loud, resting his head on his hand as he looked on at Jeongin. 

Malum heaved a sigh and agreed in a dull voice, “Indeed you have, son.” 

Jeongin stared down at his lap, eyes wide with disbelief and panic. What on earth was happening? Was he really eating dinner with two of the worst Villains Seoul - or even the world- had ever faced? One of them hated him and the other was infatuated with him. Life was a jerk. 

“What’s with the frown, Jeongin? Not enjoying the food?” 

By the looks of things, neither of the Villains had touched a single speck of the food piled on their plates. And Jeongin definitely wasn’t going to try any of it.

“No, the food is fine.” He grit his teeth as he responded, looking back at the closed doors. Could he make it if he made a break for it? 

“Then why haven’t you eaten anything?” Malum asked with poison in his tone. 

Jeongin glanced up to glare at him before spitting out, “I’m not hungry.”

“A royal must eat, Jeongin.” Romeo waved his gleaming silver fork around, giving Jeongin a look. “We’ll need the strength for our daytime activities.” 

“Daytime activities?” Jeongin repeated, frowning in confusion. 

“Yes, of course, we plan to-” 

“Romeo,” Malum blurted out, interrupting the boy. “Don’t you think it’s rude not to show our guest around?”

“Father, for the last time Jeongin is not a  _ guest _ . This is every bit his home as it is yours.” 

Upon hearing Romeo’s words, Malum looked as if he wanted to fling himself out of the window. It was almost amusing enough to make Jeongin smile. Almost. 

“But, you do raise a good point.” Romeo stood up from his seat, placing his fork down next to his plate. “Come, Juliet. You have much to see.” 

“Oh for god's sake,” Jeongin groaned, staring at Malum with an exasperated look as Romeo dragged him out of the room. "You know my name is Jeongin, so stop with the Juliet thing," Jeongin told Romeo, who definitely wasn't listening to him.   


Little did Jeongin know, the torture would not end with their awkward breakfast. Just outside the dining hall was a long hallway that Romeo led him down. The Villain excitedly pointed out interesting appliances or fixtures around the house. Jeongin could only see a prison. A well furnished, large, comfortable prison, but that was beside the point. 

“And this is my favorite part!” Romeo exclaimed as he gestured at a large canvas hanging over a brick fireplace. 

Jeongin looked up to observe the painting, and his jaw dropped to the floor. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” 

Painted on the canvas in rich, dark tones were two figures, looking down upon Jeongin with regality and power. He recognized Romeo in an instant, painted so realistically that it seemed as though he could walk right out of the painting. Blue flames swirled around him, bright and filled with vigor. Next to the painted Romeo was a figure dressed in dark colors, their black hair shining with streaks of illuminated blue. Red and orange flames surrounded them, illuminating their gleaming eyes. 

Jeongin was looking at a portrait of himself.    
  


Himself and Romeo. 

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Romeo exclaimed happily, looking to Jeongin. 

“It’s… It’s very big.” Jeongin whispered, still in shock. 

“Hmm, well just be glad I didn’t put you in a dress. I was seriously debating it for a minute there.” Romeo said, and to Jeongin’s dismay, he sounded very earnest. 

“What- but… why is this- why did you-” Jeongin stumbled for the right words as he stared at Romeo, confusion written across his face. 

“Well, see, I wanted a family portrait, but as you can probably tell, Malum isn’t the most photogenic fellow. So I settled for us two.” 

Jeongin, while staring at the depiction of himself, cold and cruel, angry flames swarming around him, thought up a silent plea.

_ Please find me soon, hyungs. Please, please, please. _

“Shall we return to breakfast?” Romeo offered his arm to Jeongin who just couldn't tear his eyes away from the portrait. 

_ Please.  _

  
  
  
  


**…**

  
  
  
  


Chan stalked into the police station, slamming open the door. With Minho at his side, they strode through the office, ignoring the officer who walked up to them and asked what they were doing. Chan walked in Namjoon’s office and shut the door, turning to look at his friend. 

“Chan! What the hell happened last night? I heard from Tae that-”    
  


“You know what happened, Namjoon? My team was attacked! Felix and Seungmin, while they were undercover, were caught in the middle of a raid! Their identities have been compromised and it’ll be years before they might be able to go undercover in Seoul again!” 

“Chan, listen to me,” Namjoon started as he stood up from his seat. 

“No, you listen to _me_. My team could have been down two members because of some careless police operation that targeted the  _ wrong  _ people!” 

“Chan-” 

“You  _ know  _ what they mean to me! You know they’re more than masked personas to people like us, Namjoon! You know-” 

“They weren’t police!” Namjoon yelled, slamming his hands down on his desk. 

Chan paused in his rage, looking up with confused, angry eyes. “What?” 

“That raid on the bar? Yeah, we heard about that. Not the police’s work. Tae and Jimin did go to deal with the fallout from that, but none of the department was responsible for it.”    
  


“Well, then who was?” Minho piped up, crossing his arms as he stepped forward. 

Namjoon sighed, rubbing his face with his hand tiredly. “The Mutant Inhibition Association.” 

Minho’s eyebrows leaped up and he snorted incredulously. “I’m sorry?” 

“Mutant Inhibition?” Chan repeated, astounded. 

Namjoon nodded, sitting back down in his chair. He gestured at the two empty chairs in front of his desk and looked up at them with dark eyes. “Take a seat. This is going to take a while.” 

“Great,” Minho murmured as he sat down, leaning back in the chair. “This should be fun.” 

“They’re called the M.I.A. for short - and they’re extremely dangerous.” 

“What, so they target… mutants? What the hell does that mean?”

“Mutants,” Namjoon sighed, looking at the two Heroes. “According to them, are people with powers.” 

Chan and Minho exchanged a shocked glance. “Powers like ours?” Chan asked, sitting up in his seat. 

Namjoon nodded and Minho exclaimed, “What does that even mean? They’re going to inhibit us?” 

“And Villains.” Namjoon clarified, heaving a sigh as he saw Chan and Minho’s faces. 

“So what- they’ll come and interfere with us when we’re trying to stop criminals and Villains?” Minho asked and Namjoon gave him a nod. 

“We’ve already had several groups complain about the MIA getting in their way. We’re lucky no one’s been seriously injured.” 

“Felix and Seungmin could have been! Felix jumped off of a  _ building _ to get away from those goons.” 

Namjoon looked startled and guilty at the words and Chan felt momentarily bad for him. As the police captain and a Hero, the man must have been extremely conflicted. 

“I assure you, you all are definitely not the only ones who feel this way, but unfortunately there’s not much we can do. They’re an organization run by certain members high up in the government’s ranks. They’re too powerful for the police department to control. They keep breathing down our necks to increase security for ‘regular humans’, to protect them from people with abilities. As if we’re hybrid monsters.” Namjoon shook his head, his brow creased in a frown. 

“You could say that again,” A new voice sounded out and Chan whirled around to see none other than Jeon Jungkook, leaning against the back wall. Chan raised a hand to wave at him and Jungkook nodded cooly at him. Chan briefly wondered how long the other had been standing at the back but before he could dwell on it any longer, Namjoon’s door opened and Jin walked in, followed by the rest of Namjoon’s squad. 

“Oh great, yes, please, come on in,” Namjoon muttered sarcastically as he was immediately attacked by Jimin, who draped himself over Namjoon’s shoulders like a housecat. 

“What’s this meeting about?” Hoseok asked, giving Chan and Minho a bright smile even though he was very clearly confused. 

“The M.I.A.-” Namjoon had barely uttered the words when the room was filled with exasperated groans.

“They suck,” Jimin exclaimed loudly, moving to stand beside Taehyung. “Jin, Jungkook, and I were doing recon at a huge formal party - it was at a major drug dealer’s house and we were _so_ close to figuring out where her labs were and how she operated them when the M.I.A. just busted into the whole place and sent everyone scattering. Apparently, some ‘mutants’ were conducting illegal behavior and that gave them the right to blow months of our work.” 

Chan winced at the words, knowing very well how much time went into planning and carrying out operations like that. To have months of hard work wasted like that, he wouldn’t know what he’d do. 

“The point is, there’s not much we can do at the moment, Chan, Minho. I’m sorry. I’m sorry that Felix and Seungmin were in danger and that your mission was blown, but we’re in a bit of a bind right now.” 

“Understood,” Minho stood up, his expression stormy. “See you all later.” He left, his hands clenched into fists at his side. 

Chan immediately stood up and started to go after him. Realizing his rudeness, he turned back to Namjoon and the other boys and quickly spoke, “Thank you so much, Namjoon. Sorry for the whole… yelling thing.” He awkwardly ended, but Namjoon just smiled and waved him out of the room. 

"Go get Minho," Namjoon told him, his eyes whistful as they followed the receding boy. "I have a feeling he's not going to be as apologetic." 

Chan nodded and turned towards the door. Jin ruffled Chan’s hair as he left, leaning down to whisper, “Take care of your team, Chan. They need you now more than ever.” Chan nodded up at him and ran after Minho, hoping desperately that his boyfriend wouldn’t do anything stupid. 

  
  
  
  


**…**

  
  
  
  
  


“Come, come, Jeongin, follow me. It’s just a short walk to the fun room!” Romeo exclaimed as he led the way down the regal halls, beckoning Jeongin on with clear excitement. 

Jeongin frowned as he looked around, trying to ignore the paintings and statues that stared at him and the cold, desolate passages. Romeo had pulled him away from the portrait and had begun walking through his large manor, claiming that they were going to his “fun room”. Jeongin wasn’t sure he really wanted to know what that was. Though, he had a feeling he wasn’t going to have a choice in the matter. 

Romeo stopped in his tracks and Jeongin just barely avoided walking into the Villain. The boy looked back at Jeongin with a grin before he pushed open a door set in the wall in front of him, gesturing for Jeongin to walk in.

Jeongin hesitantly stepped into the room, which was shockingly barren compared to the rest of the house. Slanted lights shined down on them from the ceiling and padded walls lined the interior. There was no furniture or appliances hanging from the walls or placed around the room. All this led Jeongin to question what exactly was “fun” about the room. 

“Are you ready, Jeongin?” 

“For what-” Jeongin turned to look at Romeo and was met with a wall of blue flames rushing towards him. 

Jeongin threw himself to the side on instinct, slamming against the wall. The flames roared past him in a blast of heat and he grimaced and pressed himself further against the padded surface. 

Once the heat died down, Jeongin whirled on the dark figure standing across the room. “What the hell was that?” He yelled at Romeo, throwing his arms out in anger. Jeongin’s heart pounded against his ribcage and thudded numbly in his ears. He could feel his hands shaking but ignored them, choosing instead to growl out, “I asked you a question!” as Romeo just continued to stare at him. 

The Villain cocked his head to one side and raised a brow. “Your reflexes are fast, sure, but you could use some work.”

“Excuse me?” Jeongin’s mouth fell open in shock and he glared at the boy. 

“You heard me. In any regular fight, you would have been fried in seconds. Your initial mistake was to be so relaxed. You were caught off-guard and if that happened out there in the real world, you may not have a place to hide. Your second mistake was to play nice, to be docile. Fight fire with fire, Jeongin. Lose the senseless control, it’s holding you back.” Romeo grinned at him, almost tauntingly, his teeth glinting. 

“Fine, you want me to fight you? I’ll give you a fight.” Jeongin retorted heatedly as he stepped back, curling his hands into fists. Focusing on the rage rushing through him, Jeongin let his control over his powers wane slightly. Instantaneously, his hands flared with fiery flames. They burned bright and furious, snaking through the air. 

“Why are you hesitating, Jeongin?” Romeo stepped forward, arching a brow as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re proving my point.”

“Which is?” Jeongin retorted, his fists shaking in the midst of the fire. 

“You’re soft. Weak. Pathetic.” 

Jeongin felt something ugly twist in his heart at the words. Phantom voices bloomed in his ears, laughing at him, mocking him, killing him. His father’s face flashed behind his eyes and he let out a pained noise, tearing his hand across his eyes. “Shut up!” He yelled at Romeo, sight blurry with tears. “Shut up, shut up, shut up!” 

“Make me, Juliet,” Romeo whispered with a grin and something in Jeongin snapped. 

He ran forward, slamming a fist into Romeo’s side. The luminescent flames swarmed around the Villain, furious and unforgiving. Jeongin drove his punches into Romeo’s side, watching numbly as the fire grew around them, stifling and hot. 

Jeongin’s tears spilled down his cheeks seconds before they disappeared into steam, evaporated by the heat buzzing in the air surrounding them. He threw a punch at Romeo, driving all of his strength behind the hit. He was going to stop the crazed Villain if it was the last thing he would do. 

Romeo reached out and caught Jeongin’s fist with a bored expression. His lips twitching up slightly, he squeezed Jeongin’s hand hard enough to elicit loud pops from his knuckles. Jeongin watched with wide, frightened eyes as blue-green fire curled around Romeo’s arms, snaking towards Jeongin’s captured hand. 

“Watch and learn, darling,” Romeo grinned at Jeongin, his golden eyes glinting dangerously. 

Blue fire rolled over Jeongin’s red, smothering them viciously. Jeongin felt like someone was squeezing him, constricting his breath and movement. Romeo was suffocating Jeongin’s flames with his own. 

“St-stop,” Jeongin gasped as his chest tightened, making his lungs burn. 

“Hmm, now why would I do that, deary? I’m teaching you a very important lesson.” Romeo, observing his flames as they ate the last fickle flame of red fire, uttered softly. He locked eyes with Jeongin, who was gasping like a fish out of water. Then, he moved away, releasing Jeongin’s hand. 

Jeongin immediately slumped to the floor, nursing his hand close to him as he shuffled away from Romeo. He looked up through hazy vision at the Villain, trying to get the black spots dancing in the air around him to disappear. 

“Fire, Jeongin, is a lot more complicated than you may think,” Romeo stated simply as if he were a schoolteacher educating a young child about why one plus one equals two. “When it is in its most primal form it becomes easier to understand.” He held up a finger and let a flame bloom on the tip of it, like a birthday candle. He extinguished it with a simple huff of breath, watching as the flame disappeared into spirals of smoke. 

“What are you talking about?” Jeongin coughed out, staring up at him through pained eyes. His chest heaved and his hand burned, pain running through him like electricity. 

“All right, let’s get to the point, shall we?” Romeo quipped as he moved closer to Jeongin. “Fire is a capricious thing. It’s unpredictable. Wild, even. To have it be part of you like this, you need an awful lot of control to keep it from escaping you. However,” Romeo’s eyes trailed to Jeongin’s hand, which was a bright, sore red. “Control can only get you so far in a fight. It is good to have a handle on your powers, but you must also know the tricks of the trade. Fight dirty, Jeongin, or lose.” 

“So when your fire…” 

“Ate yours?” Romeo offered and Jeongin nodded. “That was me utilizing the flames. There is more than one way to win using fire, Jeongin.” 

“And you’re going to teach me?” 

“Well, I’m going to have to, aren’t I? I really am your only hope.” Romeo sighed dramatically. “I have much to prepare for our next lesson. Meet me here in an hour. Try not to be late, hmm?” He casually remarked as he left the room, idly murmuring away to himself. 

Jeongin sat on the cool floor of the empty room, clutching his hand to his chest. When Romeo had extinguished Jeongin’s flames with his blue ones, it had physically hurt him. Jeongin had felt like his lungs were being crushed by some unknown force. Not to mention the angry burns that Romeo’s flames had left on his hand. He had been stupid to think that he could beat Romeo in the fight. Jeongin had been too distracted by his anger, too distraught. He had made a careless mistake and he had paid for it. He had to be smarter, cooler, more in control. He couldn’t let Romeo get the best of him again. 

And very possibly, Romeo was the only way Jeongin would learn how to do that. 

“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.” 

Jeongin whipped his head up to see the figure standing the door, affixing him with a cool stare. Malum’s black stitches were twisted in a grim frown and his mismatched eyes bored into Jeongin with fierce judgment. 

“Huh?” Jeongin spoke, looking confusedly at the man. 

“Be careful, Jeongin. Romeo is right about fire’s power. You two are both fused with it, although your connections are greatly different. Remain different. Don’t become the monster he is.” 

“What are you-”

“He’s dangerous. You don’t seem to understand this.” 

“I do-” 

“NO!” Malum thundered and Jeongin flinched at the man’s volume, falling back on his hands. “You do not understand!” Malum took a deep, quivering breath and fixed Jeongin with a serious stare. “He isn’t normal, Jeongin. He’s unstable. Just be careful not to end up like him.” 

Malum stepped back into the shadowed halls of the manor, his golden eye glinting ominously in the dark. 

“Kill him, Jeongin. For, in the end, it will be the only way that  _ you _ will be able to survive.” 

Then, he was gone. 

  
  
  


**…**

  
  
  
**END OF CHAPTER 2**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone~ 
> 
> Sorry for the delay in updating, I just got back from my first High School trip. It was a weeklong trip full of service and activities and it was honestly so much fun. We got to teach kids English and they were absolutely adorable ヾ(＾∇＾)ノ
> 
> And ooo Romeo's intro-to-villainy boot camp has begun~ plus an appearance from the BTS police hyungs and a spooky warning from Malum. (Chapter title is from iKON's 'KILLING ME') 
> 
> I hope you all liked this chapter! Thx for reading <3


	3. Warning!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No, you don’t get it.” 
> 
> “Don’t get what, silly?” 
> 
> “I have no idea how to use my powers!” Jeongin exploded, yelling at Romeo. 
> 
> Romeo turned with a frown on his face, a crease between his eyebrows. “What? I’ve seen you use your powers, dear.” 
> 
> “Not like you do.” Jeongin murmured bitterly. He looked up at Romeo, who was staring at him, his mouth was parted slightly.
> 
> "Are you jealous of me?" Romeo asked incredulously, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards in a terribly concealed smile
> 
> Jeongin let out a harsh laugh and crossed his arms over his chest defensively. “You wish!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone~ 
> 
> Hope everyone is doing well :)  
> (Good morning/good night - it's night for me here)

  
  


“You do not understand!” Malum took a deep, quivering breath and fixed Jeongin with a serious stare. “He isn’t normal, Jeongin. He’s unstable. Just be careful not to end up like him.” 

Malum stepped back into the shadowed halls of the manor, his golden eye glinting ominously in the dark. 

“Kill him, Jeongin. For, in the end, it will be the only way that  _ you _ will be able to survive.” 

Then, he was gone. 

  
  
  


**…**

  
“I defy you, stars.”  
  


... 

Hyunjin watched his laptop screen with blank eyes, his fingers moving automatically as he searched for whatever he could find on the leads they had gotten regarding Jeongin’s disappearance. 

Chan and Minho had come home from the police department, and Chan had told them all about the MIA - the new anti-powers group that was making life  _ hell.  _

__

__

Hyunjin and Jisung had been combing through every website and subpage they could find on the web looking for hints in their search, but too many of their usual informants had disappeared off of the net. Changbin had speculated that it may be the MIA’s fault and Hyunjin grudgingly had to agree with him. Websites and forums were being tracked, monitored, and blocked by the MIA and many of their informants had vanished from the streets. Woojin had been concerned that the MIA might be kidnapping powered people, but Chan had managed to quell his worries. He had argued that they might have skipped town because of the new troubles the MIA were causing, which seemed to get Woojin to relax a little more. 

__

__

Unfortunately, not all of Hyunjin’s boyfriends were relaxed. Minho had taken to working out in their training center and had been punching training dummies for around three hours. Seungmin had completely disappeared - Hyunjin knew the boy liked to be alone occasionally when he was feeling down or mad but he was still worried about him. Jisung had taken to working and Hyunjin had happily joined him. He couldn’t stay still any longer. 

__

__

So the two of them sat at their dining table, surrounded by as many electronic devices they could find. Hyunjin had six phones sifting through data while he simultaneously programmed two laptops to run a program looking for any mentions of Romeo, Malum, or Villainous activity. 

__

__

Jisung was doing the same, and while it was nice to have his presence, both were too focused to talk to each other. Jisung had tapped into the police department’s radio transmissions using his own radio and they were absent-mindedly listening to the reports coming in through the device.

__

__

Hyunjin rubbed his eyes, blinking away the exhaustion that weighed him down. Empty mugs littered the tabletop, the caffeine that once inhabited them long gone. Jisung put his head in his hands, breathing for a second before he was back to typing away, searching through the camera tapes taken throughout Seoul. Hyunjin knew that the two of them were running on fumes at the moment but he needed to keep pushing through. He couldn’t forgive himself if he missed a single clue. He just needed to focus and let himself concentrate in the quiet of the room- 

__

__

The door crashed open and Felix skidded into the room, followed closely by Changbin. Before Hyunjin could even open his mouth to speak, Felix slammed a piece of paper down on the table, eight letters hastily scrawled onto the parchment. 

__

__

“Look it up, Hyunjin! Quick!” Felix’s eyes were wild and he breathed heavily as he leaned on the table. 

__

__

Hyunjin reached for his laptop and searched the word up as quickly as possible, all signs of exhaustion gone from his body. In seconds, the screen lit up with the results. There was one link to an old newspaper that had been uploaded. 

__

__

“Company burns down in horrific fires. Several injured, one dead…” Hyunjin read the headline out, looking up at Felix with confused eyes. “Fe, this was written seventeen years ago, Romeo would probably have been a baby.” 

__

__

“The company that burned down, it was called Genotech industries, wasn’t it?” Felix’s eyes were wide with excitement and anticipation. 

__

__

Hyunjin exchanged a glance with Jisung, who seemed just as confused as he was. Hyunjin examined the newspaper once more and nodded. “Yeah, Genotech Industries. It says they were a scientific organization that specialized in exploring genetics and how having powers integrated with a person’s DNA. Their experiments were futile and they were shut down after the fire, though.” 

__

__

“Does it say who owned it?” 

__

__

“The company?” Hyunjin scanned the newspaper but the newspaper didn’t mention the owner of the company. “Nope, it just lists the name of the deceased employee. Choi Sangwon. No living relatives, poor guy.” 

__

__

Felix sat down at the table, leaning over Hyunjin’s shoulder. “Changbin, it says their old company building is downtown, in the South part of the city! It may still be there!”    
  


__

Jisung typed something into his laptop, which pinged a second later with a result. “Yeah, it’s still there. Looks insanely dilapidated and abandoned but…” He trailed off, looking back at Felix and Changbin. “Why do you guys want to go there?” 

__

__

“Yeah, I was wondering that too,” Hyunjin added, looking at the blonde boy beside him. 

__

__

Felix spoke quickly, his fingers rapping on the wooden table. “Changbin and I were reviewing the mission Seungmin and I went on - the one where we talked to that informant, Clarissa Rembar. She told Seungmin and me that her boyfriend worked at a company called Genotech before the place got blown in by those MIA agents.”

__

__

“Okay, but why does that matter to us?” Hyunjin questioned and Changbin piped in. 

__

__

“Because you’ll never believe who owned the company.” 

__

__

“Who?” Jisung asked, leaning forward on the edge of his seat. Hyunjin also leaned in, curious to hear the answer. 

__

__

“Genotech was owned by none other than Malum!” Felix exclaimed. 

__

__

Hyunjin let the words fully sink in before he reacted. His lips parted and he stared at Felix, feeling his heart explode with realization at the news. Malum. The Malum that they were looking for. The Malum who most likely knew where Jeongin was. 

__

__

“You mean we have a shot? We have a lead?” Jisung jumped up from his chair, staring at Felix and Changbin with wide, unbelieving eyes. 

__

__

Felix nodded, elated. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the radio on the table crackling to life. 

__

__

Yells and shouts rang out from the device, followed by several screams. Hyunjin leaped up from his chair and turned to his boyfriends. “Are those transmissions from the police station?

__

What’s happening there?” 

__

__

Before any of them could answer, Woojin ran into the room, dressed in his white suit, sans the mask. Minho appeared behind him, in full costume as well. “We just got a call from Namjoon asking for us to come down to the station, quick. They’re in trouble.” 

__

__

That was all Hyunjin needed to hear before he was out the door, running down the halls as fast as he could. 

__

  
  


__

__

**…**

__

  
  
  
  


__

Woojin ran into the police station, noting the disgruntled officers spread around the room, some of them nursing various injuries. No one appeared to be bleeding or in severe pain, but many were shocked and angry. In particular, a very familiar group in the back. 

__

__

Woojin stepped to the back with his teammates, fully suited up in their Hero attire. Woojin slid his shield onto his forearm, using the harnesses attached to the back of it.

__

__

“What on earth happened here?” Changbin, his face hidden by a black-feathered mask, questioned as they approached Namjoon and his group. Woojin immediately noticed that Jimin had red eyes and was wiping away tears while Jin whispered to him comfortingly, rubbing circles on his back. Taehyung was seated near them on a desk, clutching his arm to his side with a pained expression. Jungkook was securing a roll of white bandages around the limb, and Taehyung was trying not to grimace as his arm was jostled. Yoongi and Jungkook looked absolutely murderous, as did Namjoon. 

__

__

Namjoon met Woojin’s eyes and jerked his head towards one of the doors in the precinct. It was a black one with a keypad and finger-print scan. Woojin wasn’t sure if he wanted to know where or what it led to. 

__

__

“They’re waiting for you in there.” 

__

__

Chan frowned and stepped up to speak. “Who is?” 

__

__

Namjoon’s eyes were stormy as he uttered, “The leader of the MIA. Let’s say they weren’t very friendly when we questioned their authority.” 

__

__

Woojin felt his blood run cold as he exchanged a worried look with Chan. 

__

__

Yoongi brushed past Woojin’s shoulder, muttering not so subtly, “Make sure to make ‘em pay for what they did.” 

__

__

He unlocked the door and let them through, wishing them luck as they went through. 

__

__

Woojin walked through the hallway and turned into the first room. The door was open and released light out into the corridor.

__

__

Sitting in the room was a robust man with dark hair and a curling mustache. He looked fit, from what Woojin could tell, and he wore a dark frown which just grew more sullen when Woojin walked in. MIA guards were positioned around the man, who was seated behind a desk. They each held guns that were armed with tranquilizers - the same ones that almost knocked Seungmin out on his mission, Woojin imagined. 

__

__

By the time they were all in the room, the man was almost glaring, his gaze disgusted. 

__

__

“I see you’ve all managed to join me. Finally,” He added in a smaller voice, averting his gaze and raising his chin up.

__

__

“And who the hell are you?” Jisung asked and Woojin elbowed him, eyeing the seated man warily. 

__

__

“I am the head supervisor and director of the MIA. The Mutant Inhibi-”   
  


__

“Yes, yes, we know what it stands for.” Minho pushed the man on impatiently and Woojin silently wondered if his boyfriends would be the death of him. The answer was most likely yes. 

__

__

The man huffed and stared at the eight of them. “I am Director Kyo and I was asked to inform you all of the numerous  _ crimes  _ you are committing against this city-” 

__

__

He was interrupted by a chorus of vehemently yelled words including the likes of “What?”, “Excuse me?”, and some less friendly, very colorful language that Woojin did not want to repeat. 

__

__

“If you would let me finish!” Director Kyo yelled, losing his composure briefly. “Have you all any idea how much damage you are causing to our city? Our world?” 

__

__

“We  _ help _ people,” Felix exclaimed in disbelief, staring incredulously at the man. 

__

__

“The amount of infrastructure damage that these so-called ‘Heroes’ produce is crippling our economy. Stop these sudden bouts of stupidity. You children are ruining our city and our youth with your silly ideas.” He turned to Chan, staring at his eyes, hidden behind his blue mask. “And you, Princeps,” He scoffed, “You call yourself a leader? Stop messing around with things you don’t understand.” 

__

__

Chan stood in front of his group, crossing his arms. He ignored the way the guards clutched their guns tighter, the weapons clicking slightly as they moved. Gazing down at the director, he narrowed his eyes. “Oh, believe me, I understand. I understand that we are Seoul’s last defense. Heroes have saved this country multiple times, which is more than what we can say about you.” 

__

__

“I am warning you, boy. Stop this Hero-ing at once. The MIA knows best, we know about abilities and the dangers that come with them. We can help you restrain them, subdue them so that they don’t hurt any more people. We can calm the monsters in you. Just stop and-” 

__

__

“Monsters?” Chan scoffed at the man. He turned and nodded at his boyfriends. “Come on, we’re leaving.” 

__

__

Just as he took a step towards the door, Director Kyo asked, “So what about the boy you were with, hmm? The one who could call on flames?” 

__

__

Chan stopped dead in his tracks, his blood running cold.

__

__

“Oh, struck a nerve, have we?” Director Kyo’s voice was as slick as oil. “He’s a pyrokinetic of legal age who was barely registered and recorded in our files. Now, he’s missing and unaccounted for. He’s a terrible threat.” 

__

__

Chan whirled around with blazing eyes, ignoring the careful hand that Woojin placed on his shoulder. “You don’t get to talk about him like that. You know what? You don’t get to talk about him at all. We’re done here.”    
  


__

He stalked out of the room, closely followed by the rest of the Stray Kids. As they walked down the hall, Chan heard the director yell out from the room, “I will not hesitate to throw you all in jail, you hear me? This is not over Stray Kids!” 

__

__

As he walked out into the police station, Chan was stopped by a hand clasping at his arm. Namjoon’s serious eyes met his and he murmured a low, “Be careful, Chan. They’re worse than you think.” 

__

__

“I know, Namjoon. I know.”

__

  
  
  
  


__

**…**

__

  
  
  
  


__

Jeongin idly touched his hand, which was wrapped up tightly in bandages. It stung slightly whenever he felt it, but the pain was dulling down. 

__

__

Malum’s warning was still fresh in his mind, surfacing whenever he thought of Romeo.  _ “Kill him, Jeongin. For, in the end, it will be the only way that you will be able to survive.” _

__

__

Jeongin shuddered and looked around the room, half-expecting Malum to leap out of the shadows. Malum was Jeongin’s  _ father _ , why would he tell Jeongin to kill him? Nothing made sense to Jeongin anymore. 

__

__

“Yoohoo, Jeongin!” 

__

__

Jeongin groaned as he heard Romeo’s voice echo through the halls, his footsteps coming closer and closer to Jeongin’s room. 

__

__

“Here we go again,” He muttered as he moved up to the door, reaching out to open it. 

__

__

The door banged open and Romeo appeared from behind it, a wide smile on his face. “It’s time for some more fun! Let’s go.” Jeongin barely had enough time to breathe before Romeo grabbed his uninjured hand and pulled him out of the room, leading him up one of the smaller stairwells. They reached the top and Romeo threw open the worn door at the top of the stairs.

__

__

“Romeo, I really don’t-” 

__

__

“Hush! How else are you going to improve your technique if you don’t practice?” 

__

__

Romeo stepped out into the chilly night and Jeongin followed him, throwing his hands out in front of him in exasperation. “No, you don’t get it.” 

__

__

“Don’t get what, silly?” 

__

__

“I have no idea how to use my powers!” Jeongin exploded, yelling at Romeo. 

__

__

Romeo turned with a frown on his face, a crease between his eyebrows. “What? I’ve seen you use your powers, dear.” 

__

__

“Not like you do.” Jeongin murmured bitterly. He looked up at Romeo, who was staring at him, his mouth was parted slightly. 

__

__

"Are you _jealous_ of me?" Romeo asked incredulously, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards in a terribly concealed smile. 

__

__

Jeongin let out a harsh laugh and crossed his arms over his chest defensively. “You wish! I- I just don’t understand how they work. I usually focus on my hands and imagine fire lighting on them, but I haven’t learned how to use that fire. I can throw it, but it’s never strong enough to sustain itself in the air. I don’t know how you do any of your tricks and-” 

__

__

He was interrupted by a hand falling on his bandaged wrist, gently gripping it. “Let me teach you, then,” Romeo uttered, his face illuminated by the moonlight. Jeongin found himself caught in Romeo’s golden eyes, burning like torches in the dark. His ears burned at Romeo’s cat-like smirk and he watched dumbly as Romeo removed his hand from Jeongin’s wrist. 

__

__

“First rule to fire powers!” Romeo exclaimed loudly, sending a jolt running through Jeongin. “Constant control.” 

__

__

Jeongin frowned. “I thought you told me to lose the control.” 

__

__

Romeo dismissed the words with a flap of his hand. “You were being uptight. Moving on,” He carried on, ignoring Jeongin’s offended exclaim, “You only need to utilize control when you’re using parts of your power, not the entire whole. For example,” Romeo extended his hands and slipped his eyes shut. A bright glow overtook his limbs and his entire body seemed to illuminate before it faded away. Jeongin felt a surge of heat grow in the cold of the night and found himself leaning closer to Romeo, the source of the warmth. 

__

__

“How- What are you…” Jeongin trailed off as he observed Romeo. The boy was no longer glowing but he was still generating heat. “You’re like a heater.” He found himself mumbling as he hovered a hand over Romeo’s arm. 

__

__

“Why thank you, Jeongin. Focus on spreading your fire over yourself. Like a blanket!” Romeo let out a sharp laugh at his analogy. “It helps when you’re in cold places.” 

__

  
Jeongin lit his palms with twin orbs of fire, concentrating on the power. The warmth seemed to creep up his arms, spreading all over his body. His arms glowed a sunset orange, radiating heat. He closed his eyes, letting the sensation run through him. 

__

  
“Now, let the thought of fire dim. Place it somewhere in the back of your mind - still evident, but faded.” 

__

__

Jeongin tried his best to follow Romeo’s instructions, opening an eye hesitantly as the heat buzzing in the air cooled substantially. His arms were no longer bright and glowing and looked normal. He could tell that he was emitting heat as he was no longer cold in the night gales. 

__

__

“You did it!” Romeo clapped, an elated look on his face. “I’m quite surprised you got it on your first try. This is very, very good.” 

__

__

Jeongin cocked his head at the Villain, wondering why exactly he was so happy. “It seemed like a pretty simple trick.” He said, more of a question than a statement. 

__

__

“You’ve got to start from somewhere, darling! Besides, this marks the start of progress. Your real training can start now.” 

__

__

“Training? For what?” 

__

__

Romeo lit up his hands with flames, his eyes glittering blue with the fire’s reflection. He laughed, the sound foreboding as he stared at Jeongin. 

__

__

“For our debut, dear.” 

__

  
  
  
  


__

**…**

__

  
  
  
  


__

**END OF CHAPTER 3**

__

  
  


__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooo~ 
> 
> hehehe that was fun to write-  
> (Title is from Day6's WARNING! it's wonderful, I saw them perform it live and ahHhhah so good-) 
> 
> In other news, corona is ruining everything lmao. Tons of schools in my area are closing for a week or two but my school is like nah we're doing it anyway. So school for me is starting again soon... yaaaaay. We've lost tons of trip & travel opportunities because of corona too, which isn't great but I'm glad we're alright. 
> 
> I hope everyone is doing okay and staying safe (>-<) 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading and I'll see you all later bYE~


	4. No Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are you absolutely insane? No! No, a million times no! No, no, no!” 
> 
> Romeo blinked twice at the sudden outburst and Jeongin tried to ignore the spark of embarrassment he felt light in his chest.
> 
> Romeo’s angry eyes alerted him of his fears. He’d gone too far. 

“Your real training can start now.” 

“Training? For what?” 

Romeo lit up his hands with flames, his eyes glittering blue with the fire’s reflection. He laughed, the sound foreboding as he stared at Jeongin. 

“For our debut, dear.” 

  
  
  
  


**…**

  
  
  


“You're in love? Out, out of love?” 

“I love someone. She doesn't love me.”

... 

Minho made his way into their “tech” room - a room in their apartment that was filled to the brim with computers, cables, and screens. He balanced two cups of coffee in one hand as he opened the door, his eyes adjusting to the dim room. He scanned the room until he found his target. Plopping down next to a myriad of computers, Minho swept a stack of papers to the side of the table, clearing the way for the coffee. 

He slid one over to Jisung, who was staring into one of the laptops, biting his lip absentmindedly. Minho sighed as he watched his boyfriend type away, switching from screen to screen rapidly. Jisung looked terrible. 

Well, Jisung always looked hot in Minho’s mind, but the dark circles surrounding his bloodshot eyes were taking away from his envious looks. His boyfriend had been working nonstop trying to find any news about Jeongin, or Romeo, or Malum, and it showed. 

Minho extended a hand and placed it over Jisung’s, stealing the boy’s attention for a second. 

“Minho, I’m busy,” Jisung mumbled as his eyes flitted back to the screen. 

“I know, Sungie, but I think you need a break,” Minho spoke softly, taking Jisung’s hand into his own. 

A look of annoyance flashed on Jisung’s face, surprising Minho a little. Then, Jisung met his eyes and it was gone, replaced by one of defeat and apology. “Sorry, Min. I’m just… I’ve got to keep looking.” 

“I know, Sungie, but there’s no harm in taking a break,” Minho spoke from experience. There had been way too many times that he overworked himself in the training center to the point of fainting. It had taken a lot of grilling from Felix and Hyunjin to get him to start taking better care of himself. To know when and how to stop. 

Jisung’s eyes darted to the computers again and his gaze held such anxiety and uncertainty that Minho had to reach over and pull him into a hug. Jisung held himself rigidly for a few seconds before he melted in Minho’s hold, falling against him.

“You’ll be okay,” Minho whispered as Jisung clung onto him tightly. “He’ll be okay.” 

“I know,” Jisung breathed, his voice shaky. “I just miss him so much.” 

Minho felt his heart twist for the boy and held him a little tighter, letting him cry softly into his shoulder. 

Truthfully, Minho was just as scared for Jeongin as Jisung was. They all were. Weeks had passed with no progress made in their investigation. Chan had reached out to almost all of the other Heroes in Seoul, asking them to contact him if they heard any news at all about their youngest, missing member. So far, they had just received condolences. 

A beep sounded out from one of the computer monitors and Jisung pulled away from the hug, looking at the screen. 

“What was that?” Minho asked as Jisung leaped forward in his seat, his fingers dancing on the keyboard as his eyes glimmered with a sudden spark. 

Minho leaned forward, his eyes scanning the screen in front of them, and as he realized what he was seeing, his mouth fell open. “Is that…” 

“Call the others,” Jisung turned to Minho with a smile- the first real one Minho had seen in a while. “We’ve got a lead.” 

  
  
  
  


… 

  
  
  
  


“What on earth? How are we only now just finding out about this?” 

Felix eyed the monitor warily, wondering the same thing as Changbin. The schematics and images for a large building were pulled up on the screen, glowing in the darkness of the room. All of his boyfriends were surrounding the computer, their eyes trained on the building. Underneath the images was a snapshot taken from an old article, one written twenty years ago by the looks of it. 

“It wasn’t something that was talked about much, from what we can tell,” Minho responded to Changbin’s question, letting his eyes slip shut as he exhaled. “It was a government-organized project that was buried rather quickly after it failed.” 

“But… I mean,  _ genetic mutation _ ? How do you go about hiding something like that?” Changbin shook his head incredulously. 

‘Genotech Industries’, Felix’s eyes scanned the newspaper clipping. Those were the same words Clarissa Rembar had uttered to him on the night of their mission. The same company that Malum had created, according to her. 

Felix silently read the little section of the article to himself, pouring over the words for the tenth time. 

_ Last Thursday, a sudden explosion rattled the streets when the scientific research building  _ ‘Genotech Industries’  _ experienced a technological malfunction on its lower levels. The research organization that specializes in the exploration of genetics and the cases of genetic mutation occurring more and more frequently in today’s society reported that the explosion was a low-danger threat and will not cause any harm to the citizens or residents living nearby. For now, however, the company will be shutting its doors and terminating its running experiments. From April 2000 onwards, the company will no longer be active. President of the company, [REDACTED] issued the following statement-  _

The article cut off abruptly at that and Felix tuned back into the conversation bubbling up around him. 

“Jisung, can you pinpoint where the Genotech facility was?” 

“Already done, Channie,” Jisung pulled up an address and Felix immediately recognized the street. 

“That’s on the Eastern side of Seoul,” Felix spoke up, his brow creasing as he remembered his patrols of the area. “It can get dangerous there. There’s a lot of crime and very little surveillance. It was such a pain to keep the streets safe there.” 

“Well, that’s just great,” Seungmin mumbled under his breath, “Malum couldn’t have chosen a quiet neighborhood to open up shop?” 

Felix let out a small laugh, which immediately died in his throat as Chan and Woojin stood up. Their thoughts betrayed that they had the same idea. 

“Suit up, team,” Chan instructed as he locked eyes with Felix, his gaze stormy. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked over to Woojin, who nodded grimly. 

“We’ve got a Villain to catch.” 

  
  
  
  


… 

  
  
  
  


“Are you absolutely insane? No! No, a million times no! No, no, no!” 

Romeo blinked twice at the sudden outburst and Jeongin tried to ignore the spark of embarrassment he felt light in his chest.

Jeongin continued in his rage. “Our  _ ‘debut’ _ ? What debut? You must be crazier than I thought if you would ever even entertain the idea of being a team with me. I wouldn’t ever be a Villain, Romeo. Never ever. And if I ever was, do you honestly think I would choose  _ you  _ as my partner?” Jeongin knew he was toeing the line between safety and danger, but his recklessness was a burning force within him, overtaking any sense of caution he may have had. 

Romeo’s angry eyes alerted him of his fears. He’d gone too far. 

The Villain grabbed his hand and roughly pulled him downstairs. Training was over then, Jeongin thought numbly as he let himself be led through the winding halls, into a room hidden around the bend of a corner. 

Romeo pulled Jeongin inside the room, where his eyes immediately fell upon a screen descending from the ceiling. It was a strange juxtaposition of modern technology in the old, gothic manor. 

The screen flickered on and Jeongin felt his heartbeat quicken as Romeo sauntered over to stand in front of him. The anger that had previously encapsulated the Villain was replaced with an eery sort of calm. A quiet, victorious feeling that Jeongin dreaded. 

“You’ll join me, Jeongin. I  _ know  _ you will.” Romeo leaned forward, examining him with watchful eyes. “You know how I know?” 

Jeongin swallowed and shook his head. He didn’t know. He didn’t want to know. 

“You’ll join me because if you don’t, I’ll go after every single one of your ‘hyungs’.” Romeo murmured, his eyes flitting to the screen. 

Jeongin’s eyes followed suit and what he saw made him gasp in horror. 

A line of pictures, varying in color and size. 

For the first time in weeks, Jeongin saw his hyungs. 

“Bang Chan,” Romeo muttered, his voice cloudy with hate. Jeongin’s heart dropped as the screen zoomed in to one of the photos. It was a graduation photo, Chan pictured in his robes with a large, goofy grin on his face, no doubt laughing at Changbin and Jisung, who stood behind the camera, pulling faces. 

“Kim Woojin,” A photo of Woojin popped up next. He was pictured holding a coffee mug, a slight smile curling up his lips. Jeongin didn’t recognize the photo, but Woojin’s face was all he wanted to focus on anyway. All too soon, the picture changed. 

“Lee Minho, Han Jisung,” Minho, standing with a medal around his neck was smiling at the camera with a very happy Jisung on his back. Jeongin remembered the day - Minho had won a large dance contest and they had all gone to cheer him on. 

“Seo Changbin,” A picture of Changbin with his headphones on, working diligently on what must have been another track for himself, Jisung, and Chan. They had experimented with music production in college, Chan had told Jeongin when the youngest had wandered into one of their music sessions. Changbin was biting his lip, looking intently into his screen, completely unaware of the photographer. 

  
“Lee, Felix,” Jeongin tried to drink in the images of his hyungs as they passed by, and this one was no different. A younger Felix, his freckles and hair darker than Jeongin had ever seen them beamed brightly at the camera, holding a puppy in his arms. Jeonginf felt his heart twist at the look on Fe’s face. How he wished he could be in Felix’s arms. 

“Han Jisung.” An image of Jisung, with large Mickey Mouse ears placed atop his soft, fluffy hair, greeted Jeongin. The boy was gripping numerous snacks and souvenirs, surrounded by colorful attractions and rides. Jeongin faintly wondered when his hyung had gone to Disneyland before the picture was whisked away. 

“Hwang Hyunjin, Kim Seungmin,” The two boys were in the middle of an ice rink, comically posed. Seungmin was hanging onto Hyunjin for dear life, his eyes wide and fearful. The latter of the two was laughing, his features lit up with glee. The ice skates on their feet gleamed silver - the last little detail Jeongin noticed before the screen went dark. 

“So now what do you say, Jeongin?” Romeo’s words washed over him faintly. It felt like there was static in his ears, his brain. It drowned out everything else in the world. Romeo knew who his hyungs were. Their true identities had been compromised, and it was all Jeongin’s fault. He felt salty tears drip down his cheeks, an effect of the horrible truth. 

Romeo would go after his hyungs if Jeongin didn’t comply with his wishes. He knew it to be true. Jeongin sucked in a shuddering breath. The images of his hyungs were burned into his eyes, their smiles, their joy… He couldn’t be the one to take it away from them. 

“I’ll do it.” His voice cracked hoarsely. “Just don’t hurt them, please.” He whispered, his gaze stuck on the blank screen. 

His vision was blocked by a broad chest and his eyes flicked up to meet Romeo’s. “I won’t, darling. Not while you’re here with me.” Romeo’s golden eyes lit up with sudden excitement. He grabbed Jeongin’s hand in his own, spreading warmth down Jeongin’s fingers. “Now, come! It’s time for tea.” 

Romeo pulled him out of the room and Jeongin let himself be whisked away, like a lamb being led to slaughter. His eyes remained locked on the screen for as long as possible. He didn’t notice the figure standing at the end of the hallway. 

A shadow slipped out of the darkness and two mismatched eyes blinked at the screen. Crooked fingers flicked a switch on the control panel and it powered up, revealing the faces of Jeongin’s hyungs, the identities of Stray Kids. 

“Hmm, this won’t do,” Malum murmured, eyeing the boys with narrowed eyes. “This won’t do at all.” 

  
  
  
  


… 

  
  
  
  


**END OF CHAPTER 4**

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone~ hope you all are doing well.   
> This chapter's title is from The BOYZ's "No Air". (It's wonderful, my friends love it so much) 
> 
> Thank you everyone for your kind and caring comments! I'm doing alright and the COVID-19 coronavirus is luckily not affecting anyone in my area. However, my school has been shut down for a week :/   
> That means online learning for me, which will just make work so much weirder and complicated. 
> 
> Aaaaanywho, thanks everyone for reading! I hope you all are doing good and having a great weekend!   
> See you all next time~


	5. Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Romeo, breathing heavily underneath him, surprised Jeongin with a smile. So close, Jeongin could see the faint dimples that graced the boy’s cheeks, and the flecks of green in his golden irises. 
> 
> He focused on Romeo’s gaze, trying to ignore his chest heaving under Jeongin’s arms. Romeo’s rosy lips curled up in a dangerous smile as he looked at Jeongin. “Your power, it’s intoxicating.” 
> 
> Jeongin was transfixed by Romeo’s eyes, looking up at him through long, dark lashes. Something strange spread through his chest and Jeongin scrambled up, pushing away from the boy. 
> 
> What on Earth had he been thinking…

“I’ll do it.” Jeongin's voice cracked hoarsely. “Just don’t hurt them, please.” He whispered, his gaze stuck on the blank screen. 

His vision was blocked by a broad chest and his eyes flicked up to meet Romeo’s. “I won’t, darling. Not while you’re here with me.” Romeo’s golden eyes lit up with sudden excitement. He grabbed Jeongin’s hand in his own, spreading warmth down Jeongin’s fingers. “Now, come! It’s time for tea.” 

A shadow slipped out of the darkness and two mismatched eyes blinked at the screen. Crooked fingers flicked a switch on the control panel and it powered up, revealing the faces of Jeongin’s hyungs, the identities of Stray Kids. 

“Hmm, this won’t do,” Malum murmured, eyeing the boys with narrowed eyes. “This won’t do at all.” 

  
  


… 

  
“He jests at scars that never felt a wound.”

  
  
  


… 

  
  


A loud whack sounded out as Jeongin slammed his bo staff against Romeo’s, dropping to the floor immediately after the attack. The sound was immediately swallowed up by the walls surrounding them. 

Romeo brushed a stray lock of dark hair out of his eyes, his face serious and concentrated. Jeongin resisted a smirk. Gone were the days in which Romeo taunted him and played with him, knocking him over again and again. Jeongin had gotten better at fighting in the short time he had spent at the manor. He was more agile, more tactical. He had abandoned his strict, suffocating hold on his fire and had embraced the feel of the power. He was finally a fit rival to Romeo in battle. 

Matching the Villain’s movements, Jeongin paced himself, keeping an eye on Romeo. The boy shifted back on his feet and Jeongin tensed. Their staffs knocked together in a series of lightning-fast blows, with Jeongin blocking every attack. However, he was too focused on Romeo’s hands and failed to notice the Villain’s feet. Romeo swiped Jeongin’s leg out from underneath him and he stumbled, fumbling with his rod. 

  
Romeo’s staff immediately whipped into his side without mercy. Jeongin took the hit with a grimace, biting his lip hard to keep his groan inside. He righted himself with a stumble. Then, they were back to the fight, exchanging blows back and forth. 

Finally, Jeongin struck Romeo with a particularly brutal hit, distracting him momentarily. The split second of hesitation was all he needed to knock the taller boy to the ground. Romeo’s breath was knocked out of him upon impact and he lay on the floor, stunned. Jeongin kneeled forward next to Romeo and pressed his bo staff to Romeo’s neck, keeping one hand on his opponent’s stomach for balance. 

Romeo, breathing heavily underneath him, surprised Jeongin with a smile. So close, Jeongin could see the faint dimples that graced the boy’s cheeks, and the flecks of green in his golden irises. 

“You’re learning faster than I could have hoped. We may even be able to move up the plan,” Romeo whispered under his breath, snapping Jeongin out of his stupor. He focused on Romeo’s gaze, trying to ignore his chest heaving under Jeongin’s hands. Romeo’s rosy lips curled up in a dangerous smile as he looked at Jeongin. “Your power, it’s intoxicating.” 

Jeongin was transfixed by Romeo’s eyes, looking up at him through long, dark lashes. Something strange spread through his chest and Jeongin scrambled up, pushing away from the boy. He gripped the staff in his hands, looking away at the wall beside him. 

_ What on Earth had he been thinking…  _

“Get some rest, Jeongin,” Romeo told him as he picked himself up gracefully, standing to his full height. He swiped Jeongin’s bo staff with practiced deftness and gathered it under his arm. 

Jeongin stared at the boy’s back as he stepped out the room, flashing Jeongin one final grin before he disappeared down the hall. 

Stumbling back, Jeongin slid down the cool wall, reaching for the water bottle he had propped up against the wall. He should have felt victorious, haven beaten the Villain for the first time. But for some reason, all he felt was confused and... flustered. Tipping the cold liquid down his throat, Jeongin’s mind wandered back to the feeling of Romeo’s chest underneath him. His chest lifting as he breathed and the solid muscles Jeongin had felt- 

Jeongin flushed bright red, almost slapping himself. 

“Augh! What am I doing?” Jeongin hurried out of the room, feeling as though the walls had eyes that mocked him with their grey gaze. 

  
  
  


… 

  
  
  


Changbin slipped out of the car silently, ducking into a side alley instantly. Dressed in his dark cloak, he kept himself pressed close against the walls. It was two in the morning, and no one stirred in the streets, save for some drunkards stumbling back home, too wasted to notice his dark shadow stretching across the ground.

Turning down the alley, Changbin made his way to the end of it and looked to his right. Just as Jisung had told him, there was a large building beside him, several stories tall. Changbin’s eyes zeroed in on a grey grate nestled into the wall, a couple of meters above his head. 

Flicking on the communications device nestled in his ear, Changbin murmured, “I found the opening, guys,” as he assessed the best way to reach it. There was a fire ladder mounted on the wall opposite the grate, which he could make use of. 

“Well get cracking then, Cygnus.” Seungmin’s voice filled his ears and Changbin grumbled, eyeing the fire escape ladder. 

Surveying the street around him, he decided it was safe to climb up onto it. He reached out for the rungs and hefted himself up, his feathered cape swirling behind him. 

“You know, I still don’t get why you all made  _ me  _ do this. It’s quite frankly unfair if you’re asking me.” 

“Good thing no one is,” Minho’s grin was crystal-clear in Changbin’s mind and he scoffed, pulling himself up the ladder. 

He reached the ledge of the window the ladder was connected to and let himself rest on it for a second. Then, he stood up on the ledge, readying himself. 

“Hello, Mr. Bird.”

Changbin nearly fell right off the ledge as his heart jumped out of his chest. He whirled around as quickly as he could (which wasn’t all that fast as he was balancing on a tiny ledge) and searched for the owner of the voice. Was it a Villain? An evil being that had tailed him to the secluded alley? 

“Down here,” the soft voice called and Changbin’s eyes fell down to the window. It was cracked open slightly, a small face peering out of it. It was a little girl, her long, dark hair falling into her eyes. Changbin openly gaped at the girl, horrified that he had been caught by a  _ child _ . 

“Your feathers are really pretty.” She whispered, wide-eyed, and Changbin jolted himself out of his shock. Her words carried an adorable lisp that had him smiling. 

He knelt down as best he could on the window ledge and smiled at the girl. Miraculously, she didn’t recoil at the sight of his dark, feathered mask that hid his face, revealing only his dark hair and the faint glint of his eyes. “Why thank you. What’s your name?” 

“Lily,” She responded happily with a gap-toothed grin. Changbin’s heart promptly melted in his chest. “Can I touch your feathers, Mr. Bird?” 

Changbin laughed and nodded, leaning closer to her so she could touch his costume. Lily’s hands petted the feathers and a content smile slipped onto her face. Changbin heard an impatient cough on the other end of his comm-set and he sighed softly. He had a mission to get to. 

“Why are you up so late, princess?” Changbin asked softly. 

“I had a bad dream. Didn’t wanna bother Mommy.” She murmured, her hands still tangled in Changbin’s gleaming feathers. 

“Well, I’ll protect you from the bad dreams, Lily,” Changbin affirmed, puffing his chest out theatrically. “If any bad people try to hurt you in your dreams, you just think of me, alright? And Mr. Bird’ll make sure they never lay a finger on you.” 

Lily giggled and nodded her head letting go of Changbin’s cape. “Okay, Mr. Bird. Do you promise?” 

“I  _ pinky _ promise.” Changbin declared, holding out a hand. Lilly completed the promise with her own tiny finger and pulled her hand back into her room. She yawned widely, her nose crinkling up as she did so. 

"Let's make this our little secret, Lily," Changbin smiled at the girl's excited grin and spoke softly. “Lily dear, I think it’s time for bed.” The young girl nodded in agreement and waved goodbye at Changbin, who mimed the action back at her. Then, the light in the next room switched on and Changbin took it as his cue to leave. 

Making sure Lily’s back was turned, Changbin jumped from the ledge to the opposite building’s window. His fingers caught the ledge and he kicked the grate’s lock in one swift movement. The lock broke and the grate swung open. 

Just then, the sound of a woman’s voice drifted through the air, coming from Lily’s open window. Changbin paled and increased his speed. If he was caught it would be bad. He just hoped Lily had gone to bed as she had promised. 

He swung down from the ledge to the open grate and crawled through, pulling it shut. Breathing shallowly, Changbin kept as quiet as he could. Faintly, he could hear worried words spilling out into the night. 

“Lilly! What are you doing up? Why is the window open?” 

Changbin sucked in a breath, waiting for the young girl’s answer. 

“Mr. Bird visited! He was so cool, Mommy, and nice. He’s gonna protect me from my bad dreams.” 

“Mr… Bird?” The woman - Lily’s mother- repeated, her voice a mixture of confusion and amusement. 

“Yep! Oh, wait, Mommy you can't tell anyone! It's our little secret, okay?” 

After a second of confused silence, Changbin heard the woman speak. “Well… alright then. Mr. Bird sounds wonderful, sweetie. You might be able to see him again in your dreams, so let’s try to sleep, honey.” 

The voices faded away and Changbin heard the click of the window closing. He let out a breath and clicked on his comm-set. “I’m in. What’s next?” 

“Okay, first of all, that was absolutely adorable,” Changbin could hear Jisung’s grin through his voice and he sighed. The future teasing he earned from this was going to kill him. “Second of all,  _ Mr. Bird _ -” Changbin groaned at the nickname, “It’s time for you to start crawling. I’ve uploaded a map of the vents to your watch. Check ‘em out, follow the path, and open up the door for Felix, Chan, Wooj, and Hyunjin. We’ll brief you on the next steps after that.” 

“Alright,” Changbin pulled his hand out in front of him, examining his watch. Seungmin and a group at JYP HQ had made the entire team state of the art watches fitted with multiple special features. He tapped the watch screen and pulled up a glowing hologram of the vents. A red line blinked out his route and he looked up from the map, eyeing the dark vent passage in front of him. “Wonderful,” Changbin huffed as he set out, crawling through the cramped, dark space. 

Changbin grumbled the whole way through the dusty vents, openly wondering out loud why he was elected to go through the tight space over his other boyfriends. Eventually, he reached a slitted grate on the bottom of the vent. Peering through it, he could see a large room, dark and dusty. A large garage door was visible near the end of the room. ‘ _ Bingo _ ,’ Changbin thought. 

Pressing his hands to the grate, he concentrated. The metal screeched in protest under his hold as it froze, quickly turning brittle and weak. With one well-placed punch, the metal snapped and the broken vent-covering fell to the warehouse floor with a clang.

Changbin leaped through the opening, falling to the warehouse floor silently. His boots tapped softly against the stone ground as he approached the garage door. He pulled it up and faint light from the streetlights slipped into the warehouse. 

Four figures stood in front of the warehouse, their arms crossed. 

“Took ya long enough, Cygnus.” Hyunjin teased as he ducked under Changbin’s arms, which held the garage door up. 

“Shut up, Scintil, you weren’t the one who had to crawl through those vents. I think I consumed enough dust to qualify as a vacuum cleaner.” 

Felix laughed, his facial features hidden behind his intimidating bone mask. 

“Alright, listen up,” Chan called out, his voice commanding. “Guardian, Cygnus and I will cover the bottom floor of the warehouse. Scintil, you and Cerberus go scope out the rooms on the upper levels. Try not to take or move anything, just take photos or scan documents.” The team all nodded. Chan signaled them to go, his voice echoing faintly in the empty space. “We were never here.” 

  
  
  


… 

  
  
  


“God, this place is literally the definition of ‘haunted’.” Hyunjin murmured as he picked a cobweb off his sleeve. 

“Literally, you could film a Buzzfeed Unsolved video in here,” Felix added as he looked around warily. “I bet this place is teeming with demons.” 

“Hey there demons!” Hyunjin called out, his voice echoing in the small, bare room they were in. “It’s me, 'ya boi'.” 

Felix cackled as the two of them cleared another room, heading back out to the main hallway. Hyunjin attempted to open the last door in the hallway, but it wouldn’t budge. Stepping back, he kicked the door with all of his strength. The result of the move was a cursing Hyunjin hopping around on one foot as he cradled the other. 

Felix laughed at his boyfriend’s antics and calmly grabbed the door handle. The mechanisms inside shifted until they heard a small click. Felix pushed the door open with a smug grin. 

“Hey,” Hyunjin hurried after his boyfriend, a pout on his lips. “Not all of us have telekinesis you know?” 

“Hyunjin…” Felix’s voice stopped Hyunjin in his wallowing. “Look.” 

In front of them stood tens of cabinets, filled to the brim with files and documents, meticulously organized. Barely lit lights above them allowed them a bit of sight. Jisung had remotely started the generators in the facility to allow the team a bit of light, but after not being used for years, the generators were weak and unreliable. 

The dim lighting didn’t seem to bother Hyunjin, as the boy entered the room grinning widely. He ran across the room, jumping and sliding over a table. He landed right in front of one of the cabinets and pulled it open. “Jackpot!” He pulled one out, showing it to Felix. “There are files on everything. This one’s financial records. They had a  _ lot  _ of government funding.” His eyes scanned the paper, narrowing. “Especially from the M.I.A.” 

“Ugh, not them,” Felix grumbled, recalling his bust of a mission with Seungmin. “They’re such a pain. What were they doing funding a genetics lab though?” 

“I have no idea,” Hyunjin flipped through the papers, shaking his head. “It’s just a record of all the money they received and lost throughout the years. There’s a significant increase in the funding at one point but that’s all sticks out here.” 

“What years did they receive extra?” Felix asked as he moved to another cabinet, pulling it open. Inside it lay files on all the employees. 

“The funds increased in 1995. Stopped in 2000.” 

“2000… that’s when the accident happened right? The explosion, I mean.” Felix recalled, thinking back to the article Jisung had shown them. 

Hyunjin nodded, digging through another file cabinet. Felix turned and saw several counters scattered past the cabinets, all in varying forms of disarray. Test tubes and lab equipment lay in broken heaps on the tops of the counters and on the floor around them. 

Stepping closer, Felix examined the broken remains. Glass crunched under his boots as he walked around the counter. Hyunjin joined him moments later, looking under the counters while Felix carefully picked up a shard of glass. It had a thick layer of grime coating it. Felix blew it away, grimacing at the cloud of dust that exploded into the air. There was still something smeared on the glass, and Felix moved to wipe it off when he realized what it was. Blood. 

“Fe! I think I found something!” Hyunjin’s excited voice pulled Felix out of his stunned horror and he looked up. Hyunjin was brandishing a faded red notebook, the pages yellowed and aged. “Come take a look at this.” 

Felix pulled a clear, evidence bag from his suit pocket and bagged the glass, slipping it into his cushioned vest pocket. 

Just as he stood up to go to Hyunjin, the dim lights in the room cut completely. Then, they flashed red. A screeching siren went off and Felix groaned, pressing his hands to his ears. Pushing past the noise, he reached out with his mind for the others.

‘ _ Guys, what’s happening? Did someone trip an alarm?’  _ He asked through the mind-link, clutching Hyunjin’s hand tightly. 

‘ _ Felix, you need to get out of here!’  _ Chan’s voice came back to him in a rush of panic and anger. ‘ _ The M.I.A. are here, and they’re heading your way. Rendevous back at the drop point, we’ll be wait- augh!’  _

_ ‘Chan!’  _ Felix screamed out through the mind-link, but Chan didn’t answer. His thoughts were gone, now reduced to a lingering echo of his scream. 

Felix heard Hyunjin suck in a sharp breath beside him. Felix gripped his hand tighter and met Hyunjin’s eyes. “Hey, he’s fine, Chan’s fine.” He assured the younger boy, nodding along with his own words. “We need to get out of here though before the goons come for us.” 

And as if they had been waiting for a cue, M.I.A. agents flooded into the room. There was a moment of tense silence as the black-suited figures locked eyes with the Heroes. Then, they pulled out guns. 

Felix felt his heart rocket into his throat and he pulled Hyunjin along with him, making a sprint for the other side of the room. Bullets slammed into the metal cabinets around them, making loud bangs that rattled Felix’s bones. 

He shot an arm out and swept it sideways, his eyes fixed on the file cabinets behind him. Pushed by his telekinesis, the cabinets swayed and wobbled precariously. Then, they crashed into each other, starting a chain reaction. 

Felix stole a look back and saw an agent narrowly avoid being crushed by one of the giant metal structures. 

“Cerberus, look!” Hyunjin shouted and Felix followed his pointed finger. A small window, barely noticeable in the shadowed room. “Go!” Hyunjin yelled as he shoved Felix forward, propelling him towards the square.

Reaching out with his mind, Felix smashed the glass and dove through the opening, cursing as the remaining glass tore through his suit and cut his arms. He ducked into a roll, sparing himself from a painful impact on the street ground. Springing up into a run, he looked behind him to grab Hyunjin’s hand. 

Except… Hyunjin wasn’t there. 

Felix whirled around in horror. Hyunjin was at the window, his hand curled around the edge of the pane. A hand latched onto Hyunjin’s shoulder and wrenched him backward. The boy cried out and Felix yelled, hopeless. A hand covered Hyunjin’s mouth and pulled him back into the shadows until he was gone. 

Before he could run after him, a hand was pulling Felix away and into an alley. With tears streaking down his cheeks, Felix screamed out in his mind, ‘ _ Hyunjin, no!’ _

  
  
  


… 

  
  
  


Hidden, deep in an old, suffocating manor, Jeongin woke up screaming. 

Sweat dripping down his forehead and chills raking his back, Jeongin shot upright, a hoarse “Hyunjin!” leaving his lips in a tumbled rush.

Fear shot through his heart like a racehorse and he pressed his hands against his chest, feeling it beat against his hands.  _ Hyunjin, oh god, what had happened to Hyunjin?  _ His fear seemed too real for it to have been a bad dream. 

Jeongin stood up shakily, stumbling out of his room. Had Romeo done something to him? Oh god, Jeongin was going to be sick. 

He burst into Romeo’s room, a large circular space with exquisite, expensive furniture in shades of gold, red, and black. “Please, don’t hurt them, Romeo!” He exclaimed, catching the boy’s attention. 

Romeo stood at the end of his bed, eyeing Jeongin with a shocked look. “Hurt who?” 

“My hyungs,” Jeongin gasped, and Romeo’s eyes steeled. “I’ll be in your team, I’ll do what you say, alright? Just… just don’t hurt them.” Jeongin finished weakly, some of the adrenaline gone from his body. 

Stalking towards him, Romeo looked like a leopard coming to collect his prey. “While I’m not ecstatic that  _ they  _ are your reason for joining me, I am elated that you’re choosing me.” Romeo stepped towards Jeongin, lifting his chin up with a finger. “You’ll see, Jeongin.” His voice was low and dark. Romeo smirked, leaning in close to Jeongin. 

“You and I, are going to have so much fun.” 

  
  
  


… 

  
  
  


**END OF CHAPTER 5**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe I couldn't resist adding some fluffy Changbin and smol child into this fic - idk why, this was just completely self-indulgent.  
> (I also couldn't resist the Buzzfeed Unsolved references - I love my ghouly boys)  
> This chapter's title is from BTS' "Run". 
> 
> ALSO oH nO HYuNjiN! 
> 
> *in other news, my school has been canceled for yet another week, which seems like it would be great, but teachers are giving so. much. homework. It is insane. I'm not sure how much time (if any) I'll have to write, and I'll let you all know if there are any delays in updating :((  
> (It is also 12:06 am right now and I am slightly brain dead. Pls don't be irresponsible like me 😅) 
> 
> Thank you for reading!! I hope you all are doing well :)


	6. I Won't Let You Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Romeo shushed Jeongin and grinned, leading him into the room. It was lit up with modern, bright lights - a shocking juxtaposition to the rest of the dated house. Rows of smooth, black furniture lined the walls. Everything from tables to ottomans to a grand piano sitting idly in the corner. 
> 
> All that remained of Jeongin’s smile disappeared in a flash. Across the wall was a mounted display, housing rows and rows of weapons. Bows and arrows, AK-47s, flamethrowers, and swords. They hung in a glittering assembly, screaming of danger and power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the end notes~ 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

  
  


“I’ll be in your team, I’ll do what you say, alright? Just… just don’t hurt them.” Jeongin finished weakly, some of the adrenaline gone from his body. 

Stalking towards him, Romeo looked like a leopard coming to collect his prey. “While I’m not ecstatic that _they_ are your reason for joining me, I am elated that you’re choosing me.” Romeo stepped towards Jeongin, lifting his chin up with a finger. “You’ll see, Jeongin.” His voice was low and dark. Romeo smirked, leaning in close to Jeongin.

“You and I, are going to have so much fun.” 

… 

  
  
  


“O serpent heart hid with a flowering face! Did ever a dragon keep so fair a cave? Beautiful tyrant, feind angelical, dove feather raven, wolvish-ravening lamb! A dammed saint, an honourable villain!”

... 

Jeongin groaned and rolled over in the silky material of his bed, sighing contently as his limbs glided across the surface. He kept his eyes shut tight and dazedly wondered what had woken him up so abruptly.

_ BANG!  _

‘ _ Yeah, that’d do it _ ,’ Jeongin thought as his now open eyes leaped to the door. Another loud bang sounded out, followed by many more and Jeongin grumbled. Getting up, he slid off the way-too-comfortable bed and padded over to the door. He swung it open and immediately flung himself back, narrowly dodging an outstretched fist. 

Romeo stood at his door, caught mid-knock. “Oh good, you’re awake!” He exclaimed, bustling into Jeongin’s room. 

Jeongin stood at the door for a second, pursing his lips. Taking a forced breath, he took a moment to calm himself before he turned to face the chipper Villain. 

“Romeo, what are you doing here?” 

The teen swung on one of the bed’s supportive poles. His curly black hair fell into his golden eyes messily and Jeongin was struck by how much of a child he looked like. Grinning like a little kid in a candy shop, his smile as bright as the sun, Jeongin found himself absent-mindedly noting the boy’s good looks once again. The slope of his nose, the strength in his jaw, Jeongin could picture the teen in a fashion magazine. 

“I’ve got a surprise for you, Jeongin,” Romeo declared with an exuberant crow. 

“Mhmm,” Jeongin mumbled distractedly, his eyes still wandering down Romeo’s face. 

“Well, come on then, there’s no time to waste!” Romeo jumped away from the pole in a graceful movement. 

Jeongin let out a small gasp as the Villain grabbed his hand, pulling him unexpectedly towards the door. The two boys ran down the halls, their footsteps echoing along the manor’s halls along with Romeo’s elated laughter. Jeongin felt himself smiling at the situation, letting the grin stretch his cheeks with joy. With Romeo's hand in his, the halls lighting up with their laughter, he felt unusually happy. 

They ran past huge, open windows, the curtains fluttering in the breeze like butterfly wings. Romeo pulled Jeongin along until t hey stopped at a wing of the manor Jeongin had never been in before. Romeo let go of Jeongin's hand and pressed his fingers gently against a sleek black panel installed on the wall. The click of a bolt unlocking sounded out and a door to their left opened without a sound. 

“Romeo? What’s-” 

Romeo shushed Jeongin and grinned, leading him into the room. It was lit up with modern, bright lights - a shocking juxtaposition to the rest of the dated house. Rows of smooth, black furniture lined the walls. Everything from tables to ottomans to a grand piano sitting idly in the corner. 

All that remained of Jeongin’s smile disappeared in a flash. Across the wall was a mounted display, housing rows and rows of weapons. Bows and arrows, AK-47s, flamethrowers, and swords. They hung in a glittering assembly, screaming of danger and power. 

Romeo placed his hands on Jeongin’s shoulders and maneuvered him to face the wall. Two pedestals sat before him, each one serving a mannequin poised perfectly atop it. 

The mannequin on the left was dressed in a dark, skintight material stretching down to the legs. Above the pants, a snowy white shirt rested under the cover of a dark red cape that flowed down to the mannequin’s calves. Subtle gold accents lined the suit. 

Jeongin recognized it with a dreadful feeling. 

The mannequin beside it was clad almost identically in the same garments, however, its cape was a dark, velvet blue and silver accents swirled down the suit. 

Both mannequins had matching masquerade masks tied to their blank faces, confirming Jeongin’s fearful suspicions. 

Romeo, still holding onto Jeongin’s shoulders, gripped him tightly, exclaiming excitedly, “Couples outfits~” 

And Jeongin, staring into the mask’s dark, soulless eyes, wondered how he was ever going to get out of this hopeless situation. 

  
  
  


… 

  
  
  


Woojin ran into the police station, his eyes scanning the room quickly. Chan was beside him, the others close on their tail. Chan was grasping his hand, the leader’s anxiety worryingly clear in the strength of his grip. 

Then, suddenly, Chan was gone. Woojin looked up to see him half-way across the precinct, heading towards a tall, serious-faced man. 

“You’re very lucky that Jackson called this favor in - it was hell to get your little thundercloud away from those M.I.A. goons,” Namjoon muttered to him when Woojin reached him, standing next to Chan. 

The rest of their group had arrived and were making their way over to where Chan, Woojin, and Namjoon stood. 

“Is he okay?” Chan asked hurriedly, his eyes wide and alarmed. 

“Sparky is fine,” A new voice called out, drawing all of Stray Kids’ attention to them. “I heard the squirt put up quite the fight.” 

“Bam,” Chan breathed out shakily, launching himself at his old friend.

Woojin watched as Bambam embraced Chan, smiling a little at the glee on both the boys’ faces. Chan and Bambam had been long time friends, ever since they had started the training process to be heroes. They were both trainees at the same time and had bonded over the grueling initiation process. Then, Bam had graduated and had been deployed with a superhero group of his own. 

Speaking of Got7, the Heroes were standing all around them, dressed in civilian wear just like Woojin and his boyfriends. 

Jaebum stalked forward, a serious look in his eyes. He nodded towards the corner of the room before locking eyes with Woojin, silently telling him to walk with him. 

“Jaebum, no offense or anything but why are you all here? I mean thank you for helping us and all but…” 

“JYP sent us, Woojin. He’s… worried about you all.” Jaebum murmured, his dark eyes shining with concern. “And to be honest, so are all of us.” 

“Jaebum-” Woojin started, unsure of where he was going with the sentence. 

“I mean, look at Chan,” Jaebum’s eyes flickered over to the leader, who was conversing with Bambam and Yugyeom tiredly. Yugyeom was holding his arm, giving him support that the leader was too proud to ask for. Chan’s friends held such concern in their eyes that Woojin’s own worry for his boyfriend grew tenfold. “Has he slept at all this past week?”

Woojin couldn’t offer a rebuttal. Even he himself was worried for Chan, who seemed to be working himself down to the bone. 

“Woojin, JYP sent us because he’s scared that you all are spiraling,” Jaebum examined Woojin with a look he couldn’t quite decipher. “We’re all scared you are. You all are too young for this kind of pressure.” 

“Hey, we can handle ourselves, you know?” Jisung butted in, arms crossed defensively against his chest. 

“Yeah, we’re not babies. We went through the same training you did, hyungs.” Felix added, frowning. 

Mark broke his silence, nudging Felix with his elbow gently. “We’re here for you if you need us, you know?” He spoke in English, addressing the two of them. “You’re our juniors, it’s kind of our job,” He added with a grin, and Woojin relaxed as Felix and Jisung returned the smile. 

The doors to the precinct holding cells opened and all eyes swept towards it. Two tall figures walked through the doors, intimidating and cool. Woojin recognized them as Jinyoung and Jackson - also members of Got7. 

And… sandwiched between the older boys was a smaller figure, caged protectively from prying eyes. 

In a flash, Seungmin was barrelling into the figure, hugging them securely. Hyunjin let out a loud “Oof,” as Seungmin collided with him, but hugged back with just as much vigor. Woojin followed suit, embracing Hyunjin as tightly as he could before letting go to let the boy breathe. 

“Oh, Hyunjin, I’m so relieved you’re safe.” Chan sighed shakily, his hand on Hyunjin’s arm.    
“Jinnie, I’m  _ so  _ sorry for-” 

Hyunjin’s face twisted and he shook his head. “Don’t apologize Chan!” 

“But-” Chan was interrupted once more by Hyunjin as the younger suddenly grinned, holding his hand out, informing Chan to stop. Astounded by the boy’s glee, Chan shut his mouth. 

“Channie, let me finish. Don’t apologize, because I have this!” With a dramatic flourish, Hyunjin whipped out a mound of crinkled paper, folded and crumpled awkwardly. 

“Um, what exactly is that?” Minho asked as Jisung stepped forward to examine them. 

“Before they threw me into their transport truck- I memorized the license plate on that by the way, so remind me to tell you that later- I managed to rip some of the pages out of one of the books that Felix and I found. I tucked them down my gloves and boots- no one ever checks the gloves you know? And then I got rid of the rest of the book.” 

“You got rid of it?” Woojinn questioned and Hyunjin smiled sheepishly. 

“See, I might’ve set it on fire using some electric shocks?” 

A loud laugh had everyone turning to look at its source. Jackson was pointing at Hyunjin with a wide smile, nodding his approval. “I like your style.” 

“They were mad about the notes but sent their agents to retrieve whatever was left in there, so I’m off the hook for that for now,” Hyunjin reported, his lips tight. “Oh!” His expression lit up in a flash as recollection flared across his face. “I overheard the senior officers of the group talking about how someone called in the tip to the helpline that warned them about us breaking in. I’ve done some thinking and it’s got to be Malum or Romeo who did it! No one else is active in the company and the only person who could have access to the footage and security camera feeds would have to be Malum, as he was the President, right? They have to be close then, they could even be in Seoul!” 

He was met with resounding nods from everyone around and a smile lit up his face, proud of his discoveries. 

Jinyoung, who was leaning against the wall opened his mouth to speak when all of a sudden, a large bustle sounded out around them. 

“Turn up the news!” An officer shouted as several people rushed towards the screen. Woojin looked up to the screen to see the streets alight with fire. 

“We interrupt your regularly scheduled program for some breaking news! Multiple fires have been lit around Seoul and are destroying parts of the city like some fiery infection. They seem to have come out of nowhere and are burning in a multitude of colors, the most common one being blue.” 

Woojin met Chan’s gaze and he knew what the leader was going to say before the words even left his mouth. 

“Team, let’s suit up. Changbin, Jisung, Minho, take the North side, Woojin, Felix and I-” 

“Whoa there, Chris, hold on.” Chan turned to look at Bambam, who had grabbed his shoulder. 

Jaebum stepped forward, exchanging serious words with the other leader. “He’s right, Chan. We’re going to help too. We’ll take the North and East sides. You all focus on the South and West. Changbin, Jinyoung, we’ll need your powers the most, so be prepared to give it your all. If it gets bad, everyone converge at one location and fight together.” The two Heroes with ice and weather powers nodded, exchanging a grim look between the two of them. 

“Thanks for the help, Jaebum hyung,” Chan nodded at the older Hero before he turned to his team with stormy eyes. “Let’s go.” 

Jaebum, standing next to him, glanced up at his own team. “You heard him,” His eyes flickered to Chan’s and a smirk curled up his lips. “Let’s go.” 

  
  
  


… 

  
  
  


**END OF CHAPTER 6**

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~! Chapter title is of course from Got7's I Won't Let You Go 
> 
> Please Read: 
> 
> I'm so sorry for updating later than usual, but I've discovered a lot this week. Usually, I love to write, it's amazing and fun and I really enjoy being able to share all of the strange chaos in my mind with all of you. However, recently I've sort of lost the joy that comes with writing. It may be because of all the craziness happening right now with the covid-19 virus and how my country is being affected right now, but I can't find that excitement to write anymore. It feels like the writing I am doing doesn't encapsulate my feelings and all the emotions I want to include in this story. So, after a lot of thought, I came to the conclusion that it would be best for me to take a small break, just to figure out myself and find my love for writing once more. I don't know exactly when I will be back, but I ask for your patience. I swear to all of you that this is NOT the end of this fic. I have planned out where I need to go from here and I am definitely not abandoning this story. I just need a little time and space to find my passion once again. And once I do, I know my writing will be better and I will feel more like me. 
> 
> Thank you all for your support, and I hope to see you all when I return :)   
> <3 <3 <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends~ 
> 
> Hehehee I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of the 3rd part of this series! 
> 
> It was a ton of fun to write this :D  
> The chapter title is from Jennie's "SOLO" 
> 
> There will be a lot more of the hyungs' POV in this installment, so that should be pretty awesome to write hehe. After some consideration, I decided to keep Woojin in this fic because he'll forever be part of SKZ to me. I hope none of you mind that. 
> 
> Oh, happy Valentine's Day everyone!! I hope you all had a great day, regardless of the celebration. (If you look up the actual history of Valentine's day it's actually kinda wack- Lupercalia was a crazy time.)
> 
> I'm not too sure when the next chapter will be up, but I promise it will be uploaded.  
> Feel free to drop any comments down below, I love hearing all your feedback <3 
> 
> Have a wonderful weekend :)


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